<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Harry Potter and the Floral Feint by anAshcalledYggdrasil</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23396956">Harry Potter and the Floral Feint</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anAshcalledYggdrasil/pseuds/anAshcalledYggdrasil'>anAshcalledYggdrasil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Relationships, F/M, M/M, alternative universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:40:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23396956</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anAshcalledYggdrasil/pseuds/anAshcalledYggdrasil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has chosen to leave his long, long career as an Auror to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. He's expecting a typical Hogwarts term, with shenanigans, and with friends. He isn't expecting a sudden depletion in students attending his classes. He isn't expecting to spend weeks researching. He certainly isn't expecting...well. That would be a spoiler. Explore how Harry deals with his new career, and what challenges Hogwarts has in store for him two decades after he was last there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter &amp; Ginny Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Retirement from the Ministry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Right so I first drafted this in 2018, then lost all motivation to write ANYTHING for a year and a half. I finished this up when the UK went into lockdown and I ran out of stuff to fill my days with. I hope you enjoy it, my beta did, and I loved writing it. I realise it might hit a little close to home towards the end, for which I apologise. Please remember this was planned literally two years before Covid-19 was a thing. Thank you for reading!<br/>I apologise for missing grammatical markers and dodgy formatting - I tried to correct it all but I've definitely missed some!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry stretched his arms up leisurely, slipping a little further down the sofa as he did so. Ginny smiled across at him as he yawned widely and rubbed his eyes, knocking his glasses askew. It was late, but the sun was only just setting; one of the joys of early August. He felt a nudge in his side, and he looked across to the space next to him where his beautiful wife was sat, wand behind her ear, reading the latest issue of The Quibbler. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>"If you're tired, go to bed, you're meant to be going up to Hogwarts tomorrow," Ginny said gently. She knew he was still unsure whether he'd made the right decision. "You'll only be grumpy tomorrow if you don't sleep now." She added with a smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He sighed and sat up straight. He gave another stretch, another yawn, and nodded. "You're right, as usual," he added, in a false-grumpy tone, "I'll see you when you come up." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went up to bed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Today had been his last day as an auror. Tomorrow, he was going to travel up to Scotland, to Hogwarts. He had applied for a job as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, when the last person who had held the post (for 21 years), had retired. He'd been invited for an interview, and was surprised to see how little Professor McGonagall appeared to have aged. Perhaps there was a clause in the Headteacher's contract that stated you weren't allowed to get older at a normal pace.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Still, he had had the interview, and had been offered the job a week later. After countless hours of discussing it with Ginny, he'd accepted a few days after that. She was going to be on tour with the Holyhead Harpies for the next year anyway, as their manager, and come September, all three of their children would be at Hogwarts.  Lily Luna would be starting in just a month...the thought gave Harry a wild mix of emotions. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in 20 years. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>His mind was still racing as he checked on the kids one last time, giving them all a light kiss on the forehead, then tucked himself into bed. He threw his glasses carelessly onto the bedside cabinet, as he did every night, and willed his mind to stop whirring. He lay awake contemplating his decision, until Ginny came up to join him half an hour later. She delicately kissed the old lightning bolt scar, and his mind quietened. His breath deepened, and moments later he sank into blissful slumber. </p>
</div><hr/>
<p>"DAD WAKE UP YOU HAVE TO MAKE US BREAKFAST BEFORE YOU GO!" Yelled three voices in an imperfect harmony, inches away from his ear. He sat bolt upright, wand snatched from beneath his pillow, immediately wide awake. Ginny came barging through the door with a blazing look in her eyes. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>"What have I told you about waking up your dad like that?" She said in a tone, and volume, her mother would have been proud of. "Get back downstairs, right now." She gave them all a hard stare and the three of them scuttled out the room without another sound, all looking rather sheepish. As soon as they disappeared Ginny's manner changed completely. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, perching on the bed and covering his hand, still gripping his wand, now on the covers, with her own. Harry could feel his heart still racing. He loved all his children dearly but sometimes they were quite a handful. He dreaded to think what it would be like teaching them next year. He realised Ginny was still waiting for an answer, and he flashed her a tight smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, no, I'm ok. No flashback this time, and no hexes," he muttered drily. Ginny gave a soft snort of laughter.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Always looking on the bright side," she ruffled his constantly messy hair and stood up. "They're right though, you did promise them pancakes, and you know they hate mine." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry groaned and reached for his glasses. They weren't easily reachable so he accio-d them, and they poked him in the eye. Ginny gave another snort and told him she'd wait downstairs, to try and keep the monsters entertained. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He slid his feet into slippers and tried to calm his still racing heart. He was just grateful he hadn't accidentally hexed someone like he had last time they'd woken him up suddenly. Fighting a war, then doing 21 years of auror work left one a little twitchy, to say the least. With a stretch and a yawn, Harry stood up and trudged towards the bedroom door. He knew they were young and didn't understand the consequences of their actions, and he had already forgiven them, but their mix of genetics was always going to make them a handful.</p>
</div><hr/>
<p>Rucksack safely strapped to his back, small trunk already sent ahead, Harry kissed Ginny goodbye, and told the children to behave. They rolled their eyes and ran off into the garden, yelling goodbyes over their shoulders. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>"I'll be back in a couple of days, I just need to get the classroom sorted," he promised, with one last kiss. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Tell Peeves hi from the Weasleys, if you see him," Ginny requested as Harry took a handful of floo-powder. With a laugh, Harry agreed to do just that, and stepped into the roaring green flames.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The Three Broomsticks!" He said, carefully and clearly. The floor dropped from below him, and he was gone, spinning like a top past hundreds of other fireplaces all linked to the network. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>A few moments later and he landed hard at the pub. He cleared his throat and wiped some soot off his sleeves. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Morning," he greeted the bar tender. He got a nod in reply as he headed for the door. Before he reached it however, a figure moved to block his path. A rush of adrenaline shot through him and he reached for his wand, before he recognised the man in front of him. Adrenaline was washed away by relief and a sense of right-ness.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Neville!" He cried, embracing his old friend. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Hiya, Harry," he said with a wide smile. "How are you?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Not bad, think I've finally decided I've made the right decision."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You weren't sure?" Neville queried, one eyebrow raised. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It doesn't matter, I am now." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville beamed at him, and it struck Harry how little he'd changed in 21 years, too. "Then let's go." Neville held the pub's door open for him, and together they headed up to the castle. They struck up an easy conversation as they walked. It had been at least a year since they'd had the chance to see each other, and there was plenty to catch up on. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville's only child, a daughter they'd adopted a few years ago, would be starting school this year, the same time as Lily. He and Hannah were settled in Hogsmeade, and Hannah had an apothecary in the village that was doing very well for itself. They walked companionably up the winding path in the morning sun. It was promising to be a nice day ahead of them. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How did you know I was coming in today?" Harry asked as they approached the wrought iron gates that guarded the grounds. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ahh, a Professor knows everything, young Mr Potter," Neville said, tapping the side of his nose. Harry laughed, and tapped the gates with his wand. They swung open to let them pass. "McGonagall mentioned were due in at ten, so I thought I'd come meet you, just in case you'd forgotten your way back up here." That seems the more plausible, Harry thought, grinning at his old friend. He took a moment to admire the knitted jumper he wore, wondering if knitting was a hobby of Hannah's, or maybe his. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>A sense of relief spread through Harry at the same time the shadow of the castle hit him. He looked up at the once-familiar towers and turrets, and a pang of nostalgia tugged at his insides. Neville fell silent at the look on Harry's face, and gave a soft smile. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I had the same reaction when I saw it all restored and finished."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry's insides twisted painfully. After all those years it still hurt to think about the amount of damage the ancient building had taken on his behalf. He'd helped with the clearing, but the magic needed to repair the place had been beyond the talents of a 17 year old who had left school after 6 years. He had seen parts of it when he'd come for the interview, of course, but it was different knowing this time he was back for good. If he had to describe it, he wouldn't have been able to find the words. It was the best feeling in the world. He loved his family, and his home with them, but Hogwarts would always be the first place he found acceptance. He was finally home again. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Brief Adjustment Period</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunday September 1st rolled around with a bright sunshine and crisp breeze. The castle had been updated a little after the war, and was no longer quite so drafty as it once had been. It still wasn't perfect, and the windows rattled in the wind sometimes, but it was better than it was before. Harry woke with the sun; he'd arrived a week ago, and spent hours unpacking and making his rooms feel like home. </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>Teachers' quarters were all in a wing of the castle he'd never been to before, and were homely. Each professor had their own room, bathroom, and small work area with a desk, bookcase, and armchair. There was a communal social space with a large fire place, comfy sofas, and a kettle. All in all, it would be a nice space to spend the evenings. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry took his time getting ready on the sunny Sunday morning, relishing the fact that the castle would soon be filled with noise and chaos. He'd been back for a week to make sure finishing touches were all in place before teaching began. He'd finished getting ready the day before, setting his classroom up for the first lesson he'd be teaching, on Monday. He had his plan sitting neatly on his desk, and the walls decked out in a variety of displays relating to the most interesting topics they'd be covering that term in each year group. He was excited to get started. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>At 8am he headed out of his rooms and towards the great hall. Breakfast was slightly less fancy when there were only teachers at school, but it was still more extravagant than he was used to (an on-the-go piece of toast that got abandoned on his desk more often than not when he got called out of the office to hunt dark wizards). All the staff were finally back, with the last of them having arrived the night before. Neville waved at him from the head table as he walked through the double doors into the Great Hall. He'd moved into the castle yesterday. He had an agreement that he'd spend the weekends in Hogsmeade with Hannah, but would be at the school the rest of the week to help with patrols, and so he was accessible to students who wanted help with work and the like. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry joined the few professors already awake at the long table, taking a seat between Neville and Professor Allium. She was the head of Ravenclaw now, and taught potions. She had a steady head and her hair was a brilliant purple. She always had a faint smell of flowers around her, which also hung around the dungeons where she spent most of her day. It was a welcome change from the damp smell from Harry's time at school.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Mornin' 'Arry!" She said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. She was maybe 25, and new to  teaching. Harry grinned at her as he filled his own plate with sausages and hash browns. Sometimes she reminded him strongly of Ron.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Enjoying breakfast are you, Vi?" He asked as he poured himself a cup of tea. She nodded brightly, trying to smile but not expose the massive amounts of food she had shovelled into her mouth. Very strongly reminded him of Ron. He gave a small, amused shake of his head, and dolloped a healthy amount of ketchup onto his plate.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The fact he was able to have a hot breakfast, and a full cup of tea rather than being called away after a few minutes like he had been as an auror was still a marvel to Harry. The hall was eerily empty, filled only with the quiet chatter of the few professors present. It was still fairly early. He felt it might be the last bit of peace he'd have for a while, so he savoured it on that bright morning.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Washing down the last of his food with a final gulp of tea, Harry said his goodbyes, and headed to his classroom. Defence Against the Dark Arts...he was nervous. Sure, he'd taught the DA, but that didn't feel quite the same somehow. He'd be teaching a lot more students this time. There was a soft knock on the door, and he turned.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Come in," he said cheerfully. McGonagall pushed the door open, standing framed in the doorway. She was still an imposing figure, after all those years.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Just a quick word, Potter," she began briskly. "The letters this year, as I'm sure your aware, did not disclose that you were the new Defence teacher.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry gave a rueful smile. "I did notice, yeah. A few of my kids' friends know, but I'm prepared for the fact most won't." McGonagall gave a curt nod.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good, as long as you're aware of the affect you have on people.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry snorted, and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I've gotten quite used to it over the years. The staring, the whispers, the cameras clicking..." he was briefly reminded of little Colin Creevey, and his stomach gave an involuntary squeeze. Still painful. It was McGonagall's turn to give a rueful smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'll leave you to it, then," she gave another nod as a goodbye, and strode gracefully away.</p>
</div><hr/><p>Harry was late to the sorting feast. Somethings never change, apparently. As he walked as fast as he could through the corridor parallel to the Great Hall, he heard the deputy head teacher giving the first years their welcome talk in the Entrance Hall. The swell of voices coming from inside the Hall soon drowned it out, as he hurried up the corridor, hidden from view. He slipped quietly through the door behind the teachers' table, and kept his head down as he found his seat at the head table. </p><p>A wave of silence swept over the students. In the moments it took for them to all quieten he could pick out his sons' voices. who were understandably less impressed that their dad was there. He could hear his name whispered around the room. He saw James roll his eyes and continue talking to his friends, who were still slightly in awe of his famous father. Harry felt his cheeks colour, and cleared his throat. He ran a hand through his hair, and saw a few eyes widen. He dropped his hand immediately.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>"For Merlin's sake, it just Harry Potter." James said loudly enough to carry across the hall. "It's not a big deal, you'll get bored of him soon." There were a few scattered laughs, and the chatter began again. It was slightly more animated than before. Harry heard his name here and there, but he knew James was right. Eventually they'd be complaining about the homework he was going to set them.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Nicely handled," Neville commented from his left. Harry rolled his eyes.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Trust my son," he said in a tone of mixed exasperation and gratefulness.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well it worked, didn't it?" Neville shrugged. "He got them to stop talking about you." Harry conceded this point, and moved his eyes to the battered and worn out hat on the stool in the centre of the table, sitting on its three-legged stool.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You know, I can't believe this thing is still functional. Voldemort set it on fire, for goodness sake." He mused.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Magic," was Neville's elaborate response, making Harry grin.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The sorting went as slowly as it ever did, and Harry gave an especially supportive smile to his little Lily when she was called up. The hat put her in Ravenclaw, and she beamed at the announcement. Harry clapped louder than the rest, as she went to join the right table. She gave him a little wave and a thumbs up, and he gave her the biggest smile he'd ever worn in response. He had James in Gryffindor, Albus in Slytherin, and Lily in Ravenclaw. It was interesting, he thought, how they could all be raised together and yet hold such different values. He was glad the hat hadn't lumped them all together in the same house though, as it had seemed to for the Weasleys.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The feast appeared as it did at the start of every year, and a few 'whoop!'s of celebration were heard. Harry seconded them silently. He was starving. He piled his plate high, and tucked in, talking to Neville between mouthfuls about what their first lessons were going to be about. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The First Morning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday. First day, first lesson, First Years. Ravenclaws. Harry was calm, cool, collected. On the outside, at least. He had a lesson plan all ready to go, and he sat on the edge of his desk, twirling his wand between his fingers. He'd forgone the traditional robes, instead he'd gone for jeans and a cozy knitted jumper Ginny had bought him for his birthday. It was comforting on his first day of teaching. He could hear the nervous chatter of the new students outside the door growing as more of them lined up. The bell went to signal 9am, and Harry opened the door with a wave of his hand. </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>A hush fell over the students as they stood, unsure, outside. Harry gave them a wide smile, and gestured for them to come in. They filed into the room and lined up against the back wall. They couldn't sit down...there were no desks for them to sit behind. The room had been cleared of everything but six dummies, similar to the ones harry had used in the DA, which stood in a circle in the centre of the empty classroom. There were a few excited and anticipatory glances amongst the students.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Welcome, to Defence Against the Dark Arts. I'm Professor Potter, please hold any and all questions until the end of class. I have all year to answer them, but only three classes a week to teach you the basics of defence. Please listen closely." He stood up, and realised how small eleven year olds were. Lily stood a solid four inches above the rest. He gave her a brief smile, and she beamed back at him. She was still missing one of her front teeth from when Albus had accidentally knocked it out with a beater's bat in a Quidditch game at home a few months ago. Her adult tooth had yet to grow in.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Lesson number one," he walked slowly up and down the line of First Years, wand sticking precariously out his back pocket. "The most important spell you're ever going to need. The only one I ever used against Lord Voldemort." A shiver still went through several students at the name. "Anyone know what spell I'm about to teach you?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The killing curse?" One boy said, voice quavering. Harry gave him a gentle smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Certainly not, I have never cast that spell, and I never plan to. It's also definitely not a spell for your first lesson at Hogwarts. Anyone else fancy a guess?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>A few students called out some of the only spells they knew, until Lily finally spoke. "Expelliarmus." There was a hint of pride in her voice, and Harry's chest filled with fatherly affection for his little girl.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Precisely. Five points to Miss Potter! So, Expelliarmus. Who knows what that does?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The lesson continued this way for five more minutes, until they began to fidget where they stood, and Harry realised he should have given them chairs. He'd remember that for next time. He finished his spiel about the uses of the disarming charm, and stepped into the centre of the dummies.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Leave your bags at the back, form a circle around these." There was a rush of movement as everyone spread out in a roughly even circle. "Now, stand like you're about to duel." He knew it was asking a lot, since this was likely their first formal instruction in magic, but he wanted to see what he was working with. He went around the circle, correcting and demonstrating the best stance for a beginner's duel. A minute later and everyone was looking far more balanced.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good! Now raise your wands," he realised here that he hadn't told them to a) get their wands out their bags, so only about 70% of them had them, and b) that their front foot should be the opposite to their wand hand. He quickly corrected these mistakes, and soon everyone was back in the circle with their wands, and with the right food forwards.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Perfect. Now copy my wand movement." He demonstrated the correct form of 'Expelliarmus', and carefully watched his students copy him. He repeated it a few more times, facing different directions, and went around making small adjustments. "Very nice. Now, wands down for a moment, and repeat the word very carefully after me. We don't want to mispronounce this one.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>When he was satisfied with their pronunciation, he took himself to the back of the classroom and subtly put up a shield charm. "Now, I want you all to form a line, five to a group, behind the dummy you're closest to." There was a moment of still while they all worked out which way they were going, then a scramble to get into lines, and to be at the front. "First person in each group, take a step forward. Get the stance right...raise your arm...go!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>All six managed to fire something out their wands, but not all lights were red, and a lot of them went nowhere near the dummies. Harry had conveniently set the circle up so that missed spells would also miss students, and it was a good job he'd done so. Spells went everywhere. One was absorbed by his shield charm, and a small girl with a colourful headscarf went very red and shrank where she stood. He gave her an impressed smile; her aim was off, but her spell would have disarmed him.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The rest of the class took turns, and Harry walked between them all, helping where needed. He could see marked improvement through just one session, and by the time the bell startled him out of teaching mode, he had a solid sense of pride sitting on his chest.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You've all done extraordinarily well today. Five more points to Ravenclaw." He tried to raise his voice above the noise of everyone hurrying to grab their bags. "Homework," there was a collective groan, and he was pleased they'd at least acknowledged it, "is to write a paragraph about Expelliarmus. What it does, how to move your wand, and what it looks like once cast. Do not copy it word for word from your textbook, I wrote that chapter, I will know." There were a few scattered laughs, and he dismissed them with a wave of his hand.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>All in all, a successful lesson, he felt. He could already see them getting better, after just an hour in the classroom. They'd been a receptive lot, and had taken on board what he'd said. If they stayed that dedicated, they'd all be very good, very quickly.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>With a flick of his wand, the six dummies disappeared into a storage cupboard, and desks materialised back where he'd vanished them from before the lesson. He had just under ten minutes to get the room ready for a class of seventh years. Since he'd never done a 7th year at school, he'd had to spend a long time going over the curriculum. He'd then decided to improve upon it with actually useful hexes, jinxes, and defensive spells. He'd gone to McGonagall for approval, and then he'd designed the year's lessons.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He was excited for the next lesson. He was teaching them a nasty 'defensive' hex that he'd learned very early in his Auror career. It was going to be a fun lesson, he hoped. A nice change from textbook work, at least. He could hear students still heading to their next classes outside. He flicked his wand at the chalkboard, and it filled itself with complex diagrams and magic theory. It was still going to be a practical lesson, but one backed up with theory.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Seventh Years began to filter in. It was a smaller class than his First Years, only about 10 people, mixed from all Houses. There were a few murmurs of apparent recognition at what he had put on the board. Good, he thought, we won't need to spend half the lesson going over the theory. As the students took their seats, he moved to stand in front of his desk, hands in his pockets.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good morning, I hope you enjoyed your Advanced Herbology, and Potions, judging by looks of you. Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts" He took out his wand, and accio-d a textbook from behind his desk. "You see this?" He looked around to make sure they were all paying attention. "I used this in my sixth year. I have a deep, passionate hatred for it. Incendio." The book burst into flames, and he threw it into the fireplace at the side of the room. The class were all staring at him with a mixture of respect and horror. "I hope you all realised there was no textbook on your book list this year." A general murmur of assent went around the room.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The exam will be mostly practical. The theory you need to know, I will teach you and you will write down. Do not lose these notes, they will be important." He gave them a hard stare, then cracked a grin. "Or if you do, come talk to me and I'll give mine from auror training." He got a couple of smiles in response.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Right! On with the lesson. Today, you'll learn a hex I learnt on my first day as an auror, through first hand experience. I was in St Mungo's for a week."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He spent the first twenty minutes explaining how the spell worked, and what precisely would happen if it wasn't countered quickly. When one student turned decidedly green, he decided it was time to move on from that bit. He went through the fiddly wand movements and the pronunciation. He made sure everyone had it exactly, making them do it individually until he was satisfied they had it down. It was a risky hex when pronounced correctly, he didn't want someone to be hit with something mispronounced and even more dangerous on their first day back.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Everybody up, we're going to give casting it a go." They all stood, and he vanished the desks, replacing them with a line of dummies. The Seventh Years stood two to a dummy. "I hope you all know how to aim, by this point." A few nervous shuffles told him he should cast some subtle shield charms around the room.  He went to stand behind his class, and quickly cast some protection charms on the rest of the room.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"When you're ready. Cast." He carefully watched them all. After most of them made a first attempt, Harry kept one eye on Sidney Cadwell as he made his way down the line. She was focusing very hard on slowly moving her wand and mouthing one of the hexes, without trying to cast. Her face was scrunched up with concentration, and he went over to her. As he approached she suddenly said the hex with such force that when it hit the dummy, it went spinning backwards. It was covered in nasty blisters that started to swell. Harry quickly countered the hex, knowing that if the blisters burst it would not end well.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ten points to Hufflepuff." Sidney beamed with pride. Then her smile turned to an agonised expression, as if she was in intense pain. A hex had ricocheted off the side of a dummy and hit her in the back. But it hadn't been cast quite right. She let out scream of pain and grasped her head in both hands.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm so sorry!" A boy came rushing over from the next dummy over, looking horrified. "I don't know what happened. Professor please, I didn't mean to!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry ignored him for the moment, and knelt next to where Sidney had dropped to the ground. She was groaning, and her hair had started moving of its own accord.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"My head, it burns..." she whimpered quietly. The whole class had formed a circle around her and Harry, and were standing completely still.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's ok, I know what he's done. Don't worry, it's an easy fix." He accio-d a potion from his desk, muttered a spell over it, and handed it to Sidney. Her hair had become a writhing mass of thin snakes, several of them hissing at the ring of students, fangs dripping venom. Harry spoke an incantation, and they quietened, but did not stay still. He helped Sidney drink the potion, and brought her to her feet. "You need to go to the hospital wing. I'll send a memo to Madame Cannenta to let her know what happened. Do you want someone to go with you?" Sidney nodded, tears still streaming down her face. The snakes were slowly fading back into hair, but strands were still writhing.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'll take her. It was my fault, I want to make sure she's ok."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Very well, Mr McKinley, off you go." Harry felt awful, he should have taken more precautions. The rest of the students stared at him expectantly. He sighed deeply. "Get your bags. Your homework is to research what Mr McKinley did, and what the potion might have been that I gave Miss Cadwell. One side of parchment. You're dismissed." He vanished the dummies with a wave of his hand, and turned his back on the room, heading over to his desk.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>They all shuffled out in silence, taking the missing students' bags with them. Harry sat behind his desk, staring furiously at the parchment in front of him. Why hadn't he been more careful? He knew how dangerous the spells could be if done wrong, but he'd trusted mere 17 year olds to get it right. He felt stupid. Tears of shame pricked his eyes, and he rubbed them away. He ran both hands through his hair and sat back in the old wooden chair. He remembered he hadn't sent a memo yet, and quickly scrawled out a message to the Healer, and sent it over to the Hospital Wing with a twirl of his wand.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>There was a knock at his door, and he cleared his throat. "Come in," he said as he wiped his eyes hastily. It was Neville, covered in dirt and looking concerned.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are you ok? I just saw your Seventh Years all looking very serious...and not in class."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I...made a mistake. I should have been more careful. I was stupid." Harry spat, still staring at the desk, not daring to meet his friend's eyes. Neville made his way over to Harry, and perched on a desk at the front of the room, which had reappeared when the dummies had vanished.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He gave a soft sigh. "My first lesson, I was so nervous, I gave some Third Years pots of venomous tentacular instead of Alchemilla Mollis. They look nothing alike, and have no similar properties. Alchemilla is used in healing potions, tentacular...well, less so. I didn't even notice, until one student almost had a tentacle wrapped around her neck. I nearly quit on the spot, I was so angry at myself."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry looked up at him, tears threatening to spill over. "Her hair turned into venomous snakes," his voice trembled. Neville grimaced.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"That's rough. But it was a mistake, and all you can do is learn from it. Tell McGonagall what happened, and explain how you'll stop it happening again. She'll understand." He checked over his shoulder. "I heard she once turned a student into a desk by mistake. Had to get Dumbledore to help turn him back!" He whispered. It was such a shock that Harry gave a huff of laughter.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thanks, Neville. You're a good friend." He gave an almighty sniff and a throat clear. "Right, break time. Tea?" He offered, conjuring a tea set. Neville smiled and accepted the offer, pulling another chair up to Harry's desk.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>They talked of nothing important until the bell went to signal the end of break. Harry felt a lot calmer, and ready to face the rest of the day. "I should get ready for my next class...do you not have anything now?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Nope, I only have first period, two hours before lunch free, then a full afternoon, on Mondays."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Lucky you," Harry said drily, but a smile tugged at the sides of his mouth. "Would you mind checking on Sidney Cadwell for me? Just to make sure she's ok? I have another class now."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Of course. I'll send you a memo to let you know."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thanks, Neville. I'll see you at lunch?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Definitely. See you then!" He made his way out of the room and Harry looked up at the ceiling.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You can do this. The next one isn't a practical. No chance of damaging students." The bell went to signal the start of the next period, and Harry quickly wiped the board of the Seventh Years' lesson, and replaced it a diagram of a Kappa. One last deep breath, a quick spell to vanish the tea set, and Harry was ready.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>It had been one hell of a first morning.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gryffindor vs Slytherin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In mid-October, Harry started to notice a few students missing from his fourth year classes. When he asked where they were, he was told they were in the hospital wing. They'd all come down with something after a nasty Quidditch practice, one girl said. She didn't clarify what "nasty" meant, whether the bludgers had been particularly violent, or if it had just been terrible weather like they'd been having recently, and Harry didn't ask, because they had a lot to cover in just an hour. So he nodded, and got on with teaching them how to identify bats vs vampires.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>November hit with strong winds and rain stripping trees of the last of their leaves. The first Quidditch game of the season, still the traditional Gryffindor vs Slytherin, was coming up fast. Teams were practicing in the miserable weather, but the people who were sick in October were still out of action. Others had been subbed in, and it was looking more and more likely that they'd be playing the actual games. There were also a couple of first years who had also fallen sick, and missed a week's worth of classes. They'd come back after a week, as had the ones who were sick first, but they still looked ill. Harry was getting more and more concerned. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Teaching went on, the rain pounded the windows for a solid week, and when the first full week in November was over, it was time for the match. Tension had been growing between the two houses (much more of a friendly rivalry than it had been in Harry's day) for a while. Lots of good natured taunting could be heard between classes and at meal times, and teachers kept a close watch to make sure it didn't escalate. It never did, and Harry was pleased to see how different the atmosphere was compared to when he'd been a student.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Saturday dawned, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. For the first time in what felt like forever the wind was non-existent, and the sky was a chilly blue. Breakfast was louder than Harry had ever heard it, and every face he saw looked excited. Even the teams didn't look nervous. He attributed it to the weather. Both James and Albus would be playing, on opposing sides of course. James was a Beater, Albus a Chaser. So although most teachers did tend to (secretly) pick sides, Harry truly couldn't. At least not for this match.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The match was due to start at 10, and by half nine the castle had emptied. First match and first sunny day in a while meant almost every student was going down to see it. At quarter to 10, Harry was heading out the main doors with Neville and Vi, when Madame Cannenta came hurrying down the stairs behind them, calling his name.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Professor Potter! Professor Potter!" He and Neville turned around to see the panting Healer catching up to them. "Madame Verreux has been taken ill this morning with the same thing some of the students have been picking up recently. She's bed bound by my orders, which means there's no referee. Will you let the Headmistress know for me? I don't have time to go all the way down to the pitch." She was clearly very distressed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Of course we will, don't worry about a thing," Harry said soothingly. She gave him a look of relief.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you, now I really must get back to my patients," she said, already hurrying back towards the stairs.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh, Madame Cannenta, there's a short cut through that portrait that takes you right outside the hospital wing," Harry said, gesturing to a portrait of a young Healer. Cannenta looked at it, and frowned. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How do you know that?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I asked for it to be put there after the war," Harry shrugged. "I also asked for all new Healers to be told about it, but it's an easy thing to forget." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you," she said earnestly. Harry gave her a nod, and headed out the doors with Neville. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I wonder what's going round that Cannenta can't fix..." Neville mused, looking troubled. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I don't know, but whatever it is isn't good. If she can't cure it soon, we might have to get someone else in to help..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>They reached the teachers' box ten minutes later, and made their way to McGonagall to explain what had happened. She looked concerned, and promised to look into it more. Looking around the pitch, her frown deepened. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We haven't got a referee, with Madame Verreux in the Hospital Wing...Potter, how much do you know about refereeing?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I referee for my children and their friends when they play, and I've been told obscure rules by Ginny at dinner time enough that I know a fair amount...I've never done a proper game though."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well I'm sure you know more than most other teachers here. Since you have a son of each team, you'll also be non-biased. Have you got your broom with you at Hogwarts?" He confirmed he did, and summoned it from his room. "Good, down you go. I'll announce what has happened and that there'll be a slight delay in starting the match."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry made his way down to the pitch, noticing several patches of pretty pale blue wild flowers. He paid them no mind other than admiring the colour this late in the year, and looked up as he heard a whooshing overhead. His trusty Firebolt had just arrived. A stunned silence fell across the students, at least across those who recognised what make his broom was. It was a very old model, admittedly, but Firebolts were still very well respected. And his was technically now vintage. He circled his wand above his head, and flicked it downwards. The jeans and knitted jumper that had become his staple outfit melted into referee's robes, and he took hold of the Firebolt. A whistle now hung around his neck. The chest with the balls in was already waiting, and he stepped up to it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Slytherin came striding confidently out of the changing rooms, the commentator announcing who each one was as they did. Gryffindor followed moments later. Harry looked between them all as they gathered in a semi-circle around him.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Bear in mind, that my wife plays Quidditch for a living. I won almost every game I played at Hogwarts. I know rules you've never even dreamed of. No cheating," he aimed this at James, who he knew had a penchant for just that, "no illegal manoeuvres," he aimed that at Albus, who had picked up moves from Ginny and modified them to make them more dangerous, and very illegal in Quidditch. They both gave very innocent smiles. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good. Mount your brooms," he paused, then blew the whistle, hard. They took off as one unit, before soaring in different directions. He opened the crate, and released the Bludgers. They zoomed out the box and immediately started chasing people. He released the Snitch next, and watched it dart swiftly away. He aimed his wand at the Quaffle, and gave a flick. It flew higher than any player, then began to fall. He blew the whistle once more, and the game began.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He joined them in the air so as to better watch them all. Harry kept a close eye on all the players through the game. There were some impressive tricks that he wasn't too sure were allowed or not, but no one got hurt or fell off so he let them go. When Slytherin were 50-10 up, he noticed two of the Gryffindor Chasers muttering together. He flew over and they quickly broke apart, going in opposite directions. He had a funny feeling, and kept a more watchful eye on the Gryffindor players.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>A few minutes later and he was glad he did. He almost missed the way Moluccan and Miller converged on the Slytherin Chaser with the Quaffle from opposite sides. They made it look almost accidental, the way they knocked against her broom as they passed, one at the front and one at the back, causing her to spin wildly. She dropped the Quaffle in order to grab her broom and regain control. It was an impressive move, and one that must have taken a lot of practice to pull off with all three players flying in different directions. It was however, extremely illegal in Quidditch. The Chaser looked furious, and started yelling at the Slytherins who had tackled her. Harry felt enraged. The crowd clearly did as well, as they booed and roared in displeasure.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry blew the whistle piercingly. He landed with a thud, and gestured for both of them to follow his example, eyes blazing. "How dare you!" He yelled at the top of his voice when they'd joined him on the ground. Moluccan was still holding the Quaffle. "That was an incredibly dangerous move. You were sixty feet up, you could have knocked her off! Twenty points from Gryffindor each, and a penalty to Slytherin." They both looked guilty, and mumbled apologies. "Don't do it again." He would have red-carded them if red cards existed in Quidditch. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus landed next to them, and was obviously trying very hard not to hit them, as he snatched the Quaffle. They all flew back into the air, and Slytherin took the penalty. They scored, making it 60-10. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Not long after, Gryffindor scored an impressive goal, then another, and another, evening the score out a little. The Snitch flew past Harry a couple of times, and he smiled as he watched the Seekers carefully scanning the pitch for it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He soared above the game, keeping a close watch on the players he knew were trouble. The rest of the match passed peacefully enough, two more penalties to Slytherin, and one to Gryffindor. Three times the seekers were seen diving for something. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The first time, half an hour in, the Gryffindor seeker, Benson, suddenly angled his broom down and shot towards the ground. The Slytherin seeker, Cole, gave chase, looking wildly around the area her opponent was diving. Cheers erupted from the stands as people noticed them. Cole evidently saw nothing, and pulled up just in time, to jeers from the crowd. Half a second later, Benson levelled out near the ground, his toes brushing the blue flowers Harry had noticed earlier. He had either lost the snitch, or had been trying to make Cole crash. Harry knew it was the latter, as the snitch had been hovering just above his head during the whole manoeuvre. Play resumed and the seekers kept looking.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Not ten minutes later, Cole whipped her broom 90 degrees and shot after a distant speck of gold. She'd seen it, and she was going for it. She accelerated with incredible speed, and Benson could be seen doing the same from the opposite direction. The crowd once more erupted in cheers, which turned to boos as a Beater whacked a bludger towards Cole. She swerved to avoid it, and it soared past her, directly towards the snitch. The tiny ball flitted away and disappeared again. Both Seekers looked around frantically, but couldn't spot it. Once again, play resumed as normal. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The third time the seekers spotted the snitch, one had been tailing the other. Both happened to look up at the same time, and there it was, ten feet above them, hovering. Without sparing a glance for the other, both of them angled upwards and sped towards the tiny ball. It flitted off to the left, and they followed, bashing into each other. The crowd roared their approval, and egged them on enthusiastically.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>It soared down, and they followed, still jostling to take the lead. They were neck and neck, following the glint of gold as it darted this way and that away from them. Both were gaining on it; both were unwilling to let the other one gain a single millimetre. As the three of them neared the ground, the snitch changed direction, and the two seekers nearly crashed into each again other as they turned. Even from where he was watching, above it all, Harry could hear them yelling at each other. He smiled, and kept an eye on the rest of the game, though it had almost come to a standstill.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Cole reached out a hand, but withdrew it rapidly when a bludger whistled by her. She rolled to avoid being hit, and Benson gained an inch on her. She sped up again, reaching out her hand. Benson mirrored her. They were inches away, gaining every second, neck and neck still. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And then both bludgers came rocketing out of nowhere, and the seekers had to swerve wildly. But the snitch had already disappeared into a fist, the other hand scrabbling at the back of the closed one. Harry blew the whistle, a sharp, piercing sound. He signalled to the commentator who had it grasped firmly in their hand. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"And Slytherin catch the snitch! But both seekers have ended up on the ground, that was a nasty trick from the beaters - surely you were risking hitting your own seeker, ya boneheads?" He called over the tumultuous crowd. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He was right, both seekers had been so close to the grass when they'd had to move out the way that they'd crashed. They were now both sprawled out, brooms lying near them. The silver wings of the snitch were fluttering madly in Cole's hand. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Flowers and grass flattened under a stampede of feet from the Slytherin team as they converged on their Seeker. The crowd were cheering loudly, and the Gryffindor team could be seen helping Benson up from the ground, smiles on their faces despite the loss. He'd played well, despite some cheating from the rest of the team. They had the right to be fairly proud of how they'd played when not cheating, and disappointed they had narrowly missed out on winning.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry spotted Neville at the edge of the pitch. He was frowning, and crouched down, wand out. He seemed to be prodding some of the wild flowers, and wary to touch them. As Harry watched, he saw Neville uprooting a few of them with a spell, and putting them in a small container, where they were suspended in a pale purple liquid. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He then spotted Albus out the corner of his eye making a rude gesture to one of the Gryffindor players (probably James, Harry thought), and went to reprimand him. By the time he looked back at where Neville had been, he was gone.  </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Concerning Developments</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the celebratory aftermath of the game, and the joyful mood that seemed to have settled over the castle, Harry forgot all about Neville uprooting the little flowers and pocketing them. He spent the evening after the match in the communal room in teachers' accommodation drinking tea and eating cake. He wrote a quick note to Albus congratulating him on the win, and suddenly remembered he had promised to send Ginny a letter keeping her up to date with Quidditch matches and general Hogwarts life. He sent the little memo to Albus with a flick of his wand, watching the slip of paper whizz out under his door towards the common room Albus would be celebrating in. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>He decided to leave the other letter until the evening, instead spending the afternoon discussing recent advances in medical potions with Vi, the current Potions Master. She was very young, but had been a prodigy at a similar level to Snape, and willing to pour her energy into improving the outdated textbooks and curriculum, as well as the knowledge and skills of the Healers at St Mungo's. Harry greatly admired her, and loved discussing the various experiments she did in her spare time. It was rare for her to be out of the classroom normally, but she'd made an exception for the day of the first Quidditch match.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"- and then I added merman mucus and BOY did that explode all over the students, it was a HUGE mistake - I thought it was murtlap essence see, which is much less volatile, and creates a far better Soothing Solution than an exploded cauldron does. Luckily they were a class of seventh years who I've taught since I came here five years ago, so they were prepared with shield charms and scourgify, but I don't think they appreciated the mix up, especially not when some of the debris went in their own potions, oh I felt so guilty - "</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry listened with bemusement at the tangent, as Vi was prone to do at regular intervals during their discussions. He always enjoyed tales from others' classrooms; it made him feel like he was at least not the only teacher who made mistakes. Vi may have been a decade or two younger than he was, but still. Everyone makes mistakes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>" - but oh what was I talking about....oh! Yeah, so I found a cure for patients like the ones who have been falling ill here."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"That's fantastic, do you know the cause?" Harry asked, excitedly. More and more students had been getting sick recently, and Madame Cannenta was becoming frantic as she couldn't figure out what was causing it, so couldn't find the cure. The smile slipped from VI's face.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No," she said bitterly. "I say 'cure' it's palliative, not actually curative. The symptoms go, but I know I haven't fully fixed it - I can't without knowing what caused it." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry made a noise of sympathy. "I wonder if McGonagall has any idea what is causing it...she said she'd look into it when I spoke to her this morning. Interesting that it doesn't seem to spread between the students. At least that means there won't be an epidemic on our hands any time soon..." he mused thoughtfully.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I've no idea, but I'm going to look harder into it. I've already searched all the books in my own collection. The library here doesn't have much recent literature on magical medicine sadly...and none on muggle remedies, though I doubt they'd help in this case."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry pondered the thought for a minute, trying to remember what books he had that might be of use. None immediately came to mind, and he resolved to ask Ginny in the letter he would send her later. "I'll see what I have at home, and I'll ask some of my contacts at St Mungo's if they have any ideas if you'd like?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Vi brightened considerably. "That'd be wonderful! I don't know any healers very well, I've only spoken to a few in passing, so if you could it'd be really useful." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry nodded, making a mental note to send a few letters to St Mungo's. They moved onto lighter topics, and enjoyed the rest of the evening not discussing anything of any real importance. He particularly enjoyed the stories the Charms professor told about her adventures in America looking for lost spell books she'd heard rumours about. She'd been in some very seedy locations following unreliable leads, and had more than her fair share of difficulties in locating the books. When Harry asked if she'd found what she was looking for, she got a mysterious expression and tapped the side of her nose, refusing to elaborate any further.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>When Harry next looked at the clock it was half nine, and he realised he still hadn't written any letters. He excused himself, and went to his rooms. With a wide yawn, he sat down at his desk, and pulled parchment, quill, and ink towards him. He twirled the feather in his hand for a few moments, considering where to start his letter to Ginny, then dipped the nib in ink, and began to write. By the time he had finished, the letter was three sheets long even in his cramped handwriting, and his hand was aching. He checked his watch and realised it was half ten already. He sighed, and dried the ink with a quick spell. He slid them carefully into an envelope and addressed it for home. Once it was sealed, he stretched his hand, then set to work on a letter to his contacts at the hospital - outlining the issue, the symptoms he was aware of, and the onset of the illness. He asked them for advice and for books they could spare - or at least copied pages they thought could be handy. Once he'd finished that, he cloned the letter twice, addressed each to a different Healer, and stuffed them into envelopes too. He would send them in the morning.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He finally crawled into bed gone 11, and curled up, grateful there were no lessons the next day. </p>
</div><hr/>
<p>Sunday dawned bright and clear, similar to the day just gone, and Harry woke with the dawn chorus. Being November, it wasn't particularly early, but he still would have preferred more of a lie in. He really should investigate either double glazing, or a muffling spell on his window. He rolled over and checked his watch. It was half seven. He sighed, rolled back over, and tried to go back to sleep. He tried to quieten his mind and get back to sleep for forty minutes, before giving up and getting out of bed. He found his glasses, stretched, and padded over to his wardrobe. Opting for his traditional shirt, jumper, and jeans, he got dressed, stuffed the four letters waiting to be sent off into a pocket, and went for breakfast. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>Breakfast was uneventful, and as he headed towards the Owlery afterwards, he saw Madame Cannenta speed walking in the same direction. He called out to her, and she turned, looking like she'd just been pulled from very deep, very troubling, thought. Her expression did not clear as she paused to wait for Harry to catch up, and a knot of worry began to form in his stomach. He quickened his pace to reach her.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Is everything ok, Daisy?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She shook her head, and he noticed tears threatening to fall across her cheeks. He reached out a comforting hand to her shoulder, and she closed her eyes, a single tear falling gently. She took a shuddering breath and gave a weak, shaky smile. "I am concerned, Harry, about the new influx of patients, and the fact that I can't heal any of them. I wondered if it was my magic failing me, for there has been nothing in my many years of healing that I could not fix, but I have not struggled with other complaints that have been brought to me. I have removed onions - not bunions mind, onions - from little Tommy Riley's ears, I have fixed a Polyjuice Potion attempt gone wrong, I have fixed numerous broken bones, I healed a student who ingested a gone-wrong potion from class, with no side effects. I just don't know what to do..." her voice trailed off and the end, and Harry felt the deepest of sympathy welling inside him.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He had never been great with comforting people, and years chasing down criminals had not helped develop this skill in any way shape or form. Having three children and a wife was some help, he thought, but he wasn't ever someone who had excelled at comfort. He patted her shoulder, feeling slightly awkward. "It'll be ok. I have letters I'm going to send to Healers at St Mungo's, they'll help, I know they will." He tried to sound as reassuring as he could. It seemed to help a little, Daisy made another attempt at a smile. "And Vi Allium has been searching all the books she can."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm heading to the Owlery too, to send updates to the students' families on their condition." This startled Harry a little - he hadn't been aware of any great changes. He inquired. "Oh, yes, I asked Professor McGonagall to keep it from spreading - all the students who have fallen ill with the same sickness have been re-admitted into my care. They've spent the last few days feverish with the occasional hallucination. There's a rather alarming number of them..." she indicated the large stack of letters she gripped in one hand. Its size was indeed alarming. "They're not doing well, I'm afraid. I'm inviting their parents to visit, and asking if they would like their children transferred to St Mungo's - I just feel so out of my depth here." She looked on the verge of a full breakdown, and Harry acted instinctively. He pulled her into a hug, trying to express what he felt through the comfort of a hug. Daisy relaxed a little in his arms, and he let go. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Let's walk together, the sooner we get there, the sooner the letters will be sent." He offered an encouraging smile. "You just need some help; everyone needs help sometimes. Vi and I have already discussed and agreed that we want to help investigate the sickness, and I'm sure more Professors will be willing to chip in too."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She nodded, and turned back towards the Owlery. "Ok, everything will be ok, I just need to keep working." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We just need to keep working. You don't have to do this alone, Daisy." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She gave her first genuine smile of the encounter, and patted his arm. "Thank you, Mr Potter. Let's get our letters sent."</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Research Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The new week started off threatening a storm. Dark grey clouds rolled over the castle, thunder rumbling in their depths, promising an imminent onslaught of rain and wind. Students could be seen almost running to Care of Magical Creatures, sending anxious glances to the sky. Flashes of lightning started around Tuesday lunchtime, and Quidditch practices and flying classes for the first years were postponed until the storm broke and it was safe to be in the air again. Harry worried about the owls he was expecting, hoping they'd arrive safely and quickly, before the weather got worse. </p><p></p><div>
  <p>There was a palpable tension in the air - joint from the humidity building, the teachers' anxiety regarding the sick students, and the healthy students worrying about their friends. Although Madame Cannenta had tried to keep the news of students getting more sick quiet, the whole school seemed aware of it. It was almost comforting, Harry thought, that news still travelled in the same way now as it had done when he'd been a student. He glanced at the clock in his classroom. He didn't have a class in before lunch on a Tuesday, and his stomach was rumbling. It wasn't technically lunch time yet, but he headed down to the Great Hall anyway. As he sat picking at his lunch, someone sat down next to him, heavily. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Harry..." came the low murmur of Neville's voice. Harry turned to him, an inquisitive expression on his face. "Will you come with me?" Neville looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him, and he immediately put down his fork. He nodded, and followed Neville out of the Hall. "I've been looking into causes of the sickness; I know you and Vi have been too." He didn't wait for Harry to agree before continuing, "It seems fairly obvious that it's not a curse, or any spell really. I've found a few possible flora causes of the sickness, but none of them are inherently poisonous. They're all harmless on their own, but mixed with other species nearby, or affected by the magic protecting the castle, or cursed very specifically, all of them could have some nasty consequences of flowering." Neville went on, explaining the nuances of various possibilities he'd uncovered. They'd almost reached the greenhouses when Harry felt a fat raindrop splatter against his nose. He and Neville looked up to the sky, glanced at each other, then quickened their pace. Neville said no more until they were inside his own personal greenhouse - one that wasn't used for lessons, and where he cultivated some more challenging species of plant.  Neville pulled off his heavy cloak and threw it onto a chair in the corner by the door. Harry gently placed his own on the same chair. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Over here," Neville moved to the long table on the left side of the greenhouse. Harry joined him, trying to understand the organised chaos in front of him. "This table is split into five sections - one for each of the plants I suspect could have had a hand in causing the sickness." Harry looked over the plants - they were all of a similar ilk. All looked like standard British wildflowers to his untrained eye. He'd seen a couple in the garden of The Burrow over the years, and knew they were harmless. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What makes these so special? I've seen them in other places without anyone getting sick."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Didn't you listen to anything I said on the way over here?" Harry opened his mouth to object. "The combination of other magical plants nearby, the magic in the castle affecting them, or a specific curse. Honestly Harry, it's like you weren't paying attention at all." Harry mumbled something about a lot of information at once, and Neville dropped it. "Now, you've obviously identified that some of these are very harmless plants," he was slipping into teacher mode, but Harry didn't stop him. Every so often, he could hear drops of rain hitting the glass above them. "What we have here are three magical variants of common muggle flowers, and two flowers I've never seen before and could only find reference to in very ancient textbooks. We're talking 16th century textbooks...it's a miracle that Hogwarts still had them buried at the back of the library.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"They aren't inherently poisonous, but they were often used in potions that caused..." he trailed off and turned a pale shade of green. Harry interrupted in alarm.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You don't have to say what they caused. Why do you think they might be dangerous when not in potions?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He received a grateful smile in response. "Well, these two both flowered around the time that students started getting sick. There's no mention of the effects of their pollen in the books - they were never grown for their flowers, only their leaves and roots. They were always harvested before the flowers bloomed. Unchecked however, it's possible that the pollen they release caused the sickness." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville went on to explain the possible effects of each of the flowers he had collected, including the ones Harry had seen him gather from the Quidditch pitch the other day. As he talked, rain began to fall in earnest. Soon, Neville had to raise his voice significantly to be heard over the constant drumming above and around them. He had already created a small floating light above them, as the sky had darkened until it looked like night outside, and the rain falling in sheets blocked any last bits of light trying to brighten the world. Neville had several books spread out between each of his collected samples, and frequently emphasised a point by highlighting a certain passage or phrase. Together, they tried to rule out particular plants, and reason why others were more likely to be the cause, comparing symptoms and onset duration. They confidently ruled out a small yellow flower that resembled a buttercup, but could not make further progress.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>It quickly got to the point where, even with both of them almost shouting, they could barely hear each other over the rain. Harry shook his head when Neville next paused and yelled "We should pack it all up carefully, and take it to Madame Cannenta and Professor McGonagall. I can't hear you well enough, and they need to know what you've found too." Neville nodded, and collected a large briefcase from the far corner. He waved his wand over it, muttering an incantation. The flowers stopped their slight fluttering in the breezy greenhouse as an unnatural stillness fell over his work. It muttered another spell, and it all gently floated into the briefcase. Neville waved his wand one last time, and the books snapped shut and piled themselves up neatly. He snapped the briefcase closed, and went to fetch his cloak. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Would you mind grabbing the books? They're already waterproofed from lessons I've hosted in leaking greenhouses." Harry obliged, after he had swung his cloak about his shoulders and fastened it tightly. A flash of lightning lit up the world as he hoisted the stack of books off the table. He grimaced at the sky, and pulled his hood over his head. Neville did the same, then lifted the briefcase off the table. "Ready to brave the wonderful Scottish weather?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry snorted and opened the door. They all but ran back up to the castle, the unrelenting rain pounding down on them, the wind battering them. They struggled up the steps towards the castle, all their concentration going on not slipping on the moss covered stone. They both had classes immediately after lunch, and Harry wondered how the students would fare coming down to the greenhouses in the weather. As they reached the top of the steps, Harry saw a group of miserable looking students heading their way, cloaks drawn tight around them. Neville cursed, apparently having forgotten he had a class to teach. He waved at the students to get their attention, and they paused where they were. Neville hurried over to them, shouting over the wind and rain. A wave of relief washed over their faces, and they hurried back into the warm, dry castle. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry and Neville followed them. Neville pointed them towards an empty, disused classroom in the Entrance Hall, explained they'd be in there today, and waited until they'd all filed in before turning back to Harry. "I'll teach up here for the afternoon, we'll do some theoretical stuff. You'd better get going if you don't want to be late for your own class." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We'll meet at the end of the day and take your research to Vi and McGonagall." Harry still couldn't bring himself to call her Minerva, even after all these years. Neville nodded, and dried himself with a spell.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'll meet you in your classroom at the end of the day. See you then," he said, and followed his students into the classroom. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As Harry walked extremely briskly to his classroom on the third floor, he thought over what he and Neville had spent the last hour and a half discussing. He knew this could well be the cause - there was no obvious link between the students. It seemed to strike all year groups, though generally only in small numbers. More first years than any other year group. This was unlike anything Harry had ever seen before, </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He flung open the door to his classroom and the chattering students inside fell silent. "Sorry," he said tersely, "I got distracted in the greenhouses. Professor Longbottom has some interesting new acquisitions. Please, find your homework, some blank parchment, quill and ink, and get your wands out." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The lesson went as had been planned; Harry was teaching the sixth years how to differentiate between hexes based on the specific colour patterns that they emitted. He spent the first fifteen minutes explaining the theory and reasoning why they were different. Five minutes were allocated for demonstrations, and then they had a quiz - but not one Harry was going to grade. He cast various hexes (from a list he had given them) and they were to identify what it was in pairs. By the time he had been through all 15 hexes, the dummy they had been hitting was looking rather worse for wear. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The bell rang for the end of the lesson just as Harry was getting them all to pack up. He had set them some difficult homework they had all grumbled about, but he knew they'd appreciate it when their NEWTs rolled around the following year. He dismissed them then looked up at a knock on the door. Professor McGonagall was standing there, looking extremely grave. Harry's stomach coiled, and he hurried his students out. A few of them gave little nods of respect to McGonagall, but most just hurried past. They knew not to linger when she looked that serious. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Professor, what's wrong?" Harry said, hastening over to her. She moved inside the classroom and gently shut the door. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We are transferring some of the students who are sick to St Mungo's. We got responses from their parents, most of whom are waiting at the hospital already. I need you to act like everything is fine in front of the other students. I do not want word of how...dire, the situation is to get out."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry couldn't unravel how he felt. "Is it that bad, Professor?" He asked in a whisper. She nodded, looking extremely worried. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Potter, I need you to start the research you were planning to do immediately. This cannot wait. There are fifteen first years being transferred to hospital. That's a significant number." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Dread filled Harry. Lily was in first year...he was sure he would have been told if she had fallen ill, but he had to check. "Have any more caught it?" She shook her head. A pinprick of relief stabbed through his dread, but it didn't dissipate entirely. He nodded slowly. "Neville has already made a start, he's got a good baseline to go from, but he needs input from others. He's teaching in the unused classroom in the Entrance Hall at the moment. I'm meeting him at the end of the day, we were going to bring the research to you and Vi...I'll send her a note to ask her to come here after class."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No need, Potter. I will visit her after Longbottom, if he's on the ground floor. Good luck Potter, and read quickly. I fear we haven't got much time left to help them. They look worse every day." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry nodded again, and McGonagall left. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms. He went over to his desk, where he was surprised to see a small pile of books, and three letters waiting for him that he hadn't noticed during class. The desk was so messy this wasn't a surprise. He quickly skimmed the titles of the books, and felt a wave of relief wash over him. They were extremely specialist books on medical herbology. He assumed the replies in front of him contained suspicions akin to those Neville and now himself held. He put them all in a pile to one side as he heard the chatter of his next class outside. He opened the door with a wave of his hand, and shifted his attention to what they would be learning about next. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He just had to be patient; research would begin in earnest as soon as the end of school bell went.  He was determined: no one was going to die. They would all make a full recovery. He would make sure of it. The alternative, and the grief and guilt that would accompany it, didn't bear thinking about. So he didn't. He focused on the lesson, giving it his all, and trying his hardest not to look at the clock every few minutes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He could do this. He had defeated Voldemort...surely this couldn't be harder?</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A Significant Breakthrough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As it happened, in Harry's opinion, this was just as hard as defeating Voldemort. He, Neville, and Vi had met in Harry's classroom as soon as students had been dismissed for the evening. Neville and Vi took turns explaining where they were both at. They seemed to understand each other's research better than Harry understood either one, but he felt he kept up well enough. When it was his turn, he presented the books, and read out key parts of the letters that accompanied them. Neville exclaimed in surprise and joy when he saw the titles, and eagerly started rifling through one of them. Vi's expression was one of extreme relief. </p><p></p><div>
  <p>So it began. The three of them spent that first evening working in Harry's classroom; it was the brightest, and the least damp. Tea time came and went. So engrossed in their research they barely noticed it. They worked solidly, discussing the different plants Neville had found, and very carefully reading all the books they had for any mention of them or similar plants. It was slow, tedious work, only made better by the fact Harry wasn't doing it alone. Whenever he got overwhelmed with the task, he took a moment and reflected back to when he'd been a student, and spent many a long evening just lie that one, trying to find answers to questions that had seemed so hard at the time.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As the hours dragged by, they spoke out regularly, with a passage or a hint, or a drawing that looked like their possibly guilty plants. They amassed several rolls of parchment, scrawled in three different hands, that held everything they thought could be relevant, and some things that may not have been. It was impossible to tell at this stage. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Around 10 o'clock, when the clock in the corner chimed, Harry looked up, bleary eyed. His stomach rumbled, and he finally realised what time it was. "We should call it for the night. We've all been teaching all day, and we all missed tea. We'll pick it up again tomorrow." He was loathe to leave in the middle of research, but he knew it would take weeks. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville nodded. "I think we've done well. It's less likely to be the Prunus Spinosa, having looked through all of this," he indicated the scattered books and papers. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Vi yawned widely. "You're right, it's getting late and we've made a good start. Can we store all this here, Harry?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He nodded, casting about for a good place to store it. In the end he emptied out a couple of drawers in his desk, and slid all the new work in gently. It barely fit, and they had to pile the books up under the desk. Harry locked the drawers with a flick of his wand. "Let's go, but let's go via the kitchens. I'm starving..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The three of them headed off to the teachers' wing, stopping off at the kitchens to grab a quick meal before heading to bed. It had been a long evening, but Harry was optimistic that they'd made progress, and would continue doing so quite quickly. He just hoped no more students got sick in the meantime, and those who were already ill didn't get significantly worse.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>His wish was partially granted. No more students seemed to fall ill over the following few weeks. Harry was in regular correspondence with Healers, who told him they'd had to put stasis spells on the students to stop them getting worse until a cure was found. They assured him they were also working hard on it, and their team and Harry's frequently exchanged notes and new developments. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Research was slow going. It took them three weeks to narrow it down to one flower that both teams were certain was the perpetrator. It took the Professors another week to finish tests for hexes, curses, uses in potions, and possible cures. The flower in question was the one that had started growing on the Quidditch pitch. They discovered a plethora of uses for the other flowers they had been investigating, and made sure to keep the notes somewhere safe so they could be revisited when they were done solving their current dilemma. At the end of the fourth week, the three of them stood before Professor McGonagall, eyes drooping from exhaustion, and sliding down in their chairs, unable to summon the energy to sit up straight. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"As you can see Headmistress," Neville said slowly, enunciating very carefully so he didn't slur in his tired state, "we have identified this flower," he held up a vial with flowers suspended in liquid, "as the root cause. We sent samples off to St Mungo's at the beginning of the week so they can do...whatever it is they do, and we've been very busy also doing whatever it is we do."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>McGonagall appraised them thoughtfully. "I appreciate how hard you've worked, and the research you've given me. It gives me hope that soon we'll get our students back to full health. In the mean time, you should pick all the samples you need, and we'll destroy the rest of the flowers to prevent anyone else getting sick."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Professor?" Harry asked, "what's going to happen regarding their teaching? They've missed almost a full term.."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>McGonagall sighed. "I have yet to decide. My priority is ensuring they all make a full recovery. We will discuss the possibility of night classes, or delaying some exams, once they all return to us. Until then, put it out of your mind. We need to ensure that they can continue their studies, before working out how they will do so." Harry nodded, and yawned. "You all look ready to drop, get yourselves a drink from the kitchen, and go to bed."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The three smiled at her and got up. They'd spent the best part of four weeks not only planning, teaching, and marking, but doing research well into the night. All of them were sleep deprived to a level beyond that even of the NEWT students. They trudged out of McGonagall's office, heading towards the kitchen. They didn't speak, they'd spent too long in each others' company to have anything new to say. All there was was research. It had occupied their every thought for the last month, and now they'd finally worked out the cause, they weren't sure what to do next, beyond involving Madame Cannenta more than she'd already been involved, and sending more letters to St Mungo's to explain their findings of the last week and enquire about their progress.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>When Harry finally reached his bed, he took off his shoes and his glasses, flopped forward, and was out like a light before you could even think the word "exhaustion".</p>
</div><hr/><p>The remaining two weeks of term before Christmas passed by in a blur. Harry was mostly surplus now in the research - all that was needed was to brew the right kind of potion, so although he kept himself up to date on progress, he wasn't directly involved. He spent the time with the others in the dungeon, but did not partake often in the practical work. He was grateful for the break, as there were tests to administer and mark, which took until late to mark as it was. He tried to make Neville and Vi's lives easier by offering his help with their marking and classes as much as he could, which they accepted with relief. It was a trying time. </p><p></p><div>
  <p>The end of term feast came and went, and the three of them tried their best to join in the festivities and forget their worries for a few hours. More students had been transferred to St Mungo's that morning, but no more had fallen ill thanks to McGonagall destroying the flowers. It was becoming tense, and they knew they didn't have much longer to figure out a cure. St Mungo's Healers had been doing everything they could, with a very dedicated team doing research on their end. Their help had been invaluable, and between all of them, Harry was confident there would soon be a cure.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>So, for the first time in weeks, he let himself relax a little, and ignored the worry gnawing at his insides. There was nothing more they could do for the next few hours. A potion that he was very hopeful about, with the right spells used when mixing, was brewing in the dungeons as they ate. The recipe was being written as the ingredients and spells were added, and a copy would be sent to St Mungo's as soon as it was done. It was created following an earlier version they had made, but needed tweaking as it had had some nasty side effects on those who had tried it, and it wasn't deemed safe to give to the students. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The feast passed as quickly as everything else had in the last month. The only notable event was Neville winning a glorious wizards hat with a moving toad hopping around the base from a cracker, which he of course immediately donned. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Suits you," Harry grinned. Neville beamed, and fed the toad a bit of potato.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>After the feast, Harry, Neville (still wearing the hat), and Vi headed down to the Dungeons to check on the potion. It was a deep silver, and simmering away nicely. He cast a spell as Vi stirred it first three times anti-clockwise, then twelve times clockwise. Neville finely chopped a flower from the Quidditch pitch. It was an odd variation of Glechoma Hederacea, as far as they could tell. It didn't perfectly match any of the descriptions they had found, but had a lot in common with that family of plants. Neville waited for a sign from Vi, then added the shredded plant into the potion. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>They all held their breath and counted the stirs in both directions, following the movement with their eyes. The atmosphere was tense, as if the smallest of breaths would shatter the strained, almost calm feeling permeating the room. Slowly, so slowly, the potion turned from silver, to blinding yellow, to purple, and then to a pale shade of blue. It matched the flowers almost perfectly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Is it ready?" Neville breathed, so quietly Harry almost didn't hear him over the bubbling of the potion. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's ready....it just needs testing." Vi eyed Neville's hat. "How realistic d'you reckon that toad is?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville took off the hat and tapped the toad with his wand, muttering a spell. He shrugged. "Seems fairly realistic, though not actually real. It ate some of my food at dinner so must be pretty good. Might as well offer it up as a test subject."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"As long as side effects aren't serious, that'll be fine. The Healers can fix anything minor that comes as a result. Here, gimme that toad then."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville pulled it off the hat, and handed it over. Vi took it and held it firm in one hand. She took a pipette in the other hand, and carefully administered three drops of it to the toad. Its pupils briefly dilated to fill its whole eye, it gave a grumbling croak, then returned to normal. They watched it carefully, not daring to move. The toad twitched a little, then gave a throaty RIBBIT and tried to hop away. As one, they released a breath none had realised was being held.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good, it's safe. Relatively safe," Vi corrected herself. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What do we do now? Bottle it and send it to St Mungo's?" Harry asked, taking the toad off Vi. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah. And send some up to Madame Cannenta too, once St Mungo's give it the all clear. Hopefully it'll be by the end of tomorrow." As she spoke, she filled several flasks with the blue liquid, and stoppered them. A spell sealed them, and she put them in a crate. "We don't have time to owl it over, I'll set up a floo meeting with them tonight," she glanced at the clock and grimaced. "It'll be a late night but worth it in the end."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"There's no more we can do tonight. We should try and catch up on some sleep. Or pack..." Harry suddenly remembered he was meant to be going home soon. His children would be on the train the following day, and he was due to be back before them. The three of them went their separate ways - Neville home to Hannah, Vi to set up a floo meeting, and Harry to the teachers' wing. His feet dragged, and he was barely aware of anyone that passed him in the corridors. He reached his rooms without incident, and pushed open the door. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>An owl was sitting on his desk, and hooted softly at him as shut the door. Harry gave a tired smile. It was the Weasley's family owl. He gave her a gentle stroke, then offered her a drink. He untied the letter from her leg when she had finished, and she flapped over to the perch on the wall where his own owl sometimes slept, when not up in the owlery. He opened the letter and scanned it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Harry,</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Mum wanted me to send this while I was home for a couple days, she says she keeps forgetting. I will, therefore, be transcribing word for word as she tells me what to write. As is tradition, you're invited to The Burrow for Christmas, you don't have a choice, you're family now, you've always been family since I first saw you on the platform in first year, marrying into the family just makes it more official...ok she's rambling now, I'm going to stop, you'll hear it all on the 25th anyway.</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Hermione and I will be staying for two days either side of Christmas with the kids, see you and Gin soon. Hope teaching is ok and Rose and Hugo are behaving (they insist they are but they're Weasleys so who knows, really?)</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>See you soon,</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Ron</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry grinned. He didn't officially need an invite - since he and Ginny had been together he'd spent every Christmas at The Burrow (and most Christmases previously too), but it was still nice to get the invitation. He stretched, which was accompanied by a loud yawn, and put the letter away in his drawer of letters from friends and family. He got himself ready for bed, revelling in the fact that they'd hopefully finally cracked the code for a cure, and that he didn't have any more lessons to plan for two weeks. A contented feeling settled over him as he pulled the covers over himself, already looking forward to Mrs Weasley's cooking on Christmas day as he drifted off into the first peaceful night he'd had in over a month. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. So Close and So Far</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry was woken up the next morning by a knock on his door. He fumbled for his glasses, threw off his covers, and padded towards the door. Rubbing sleep out his eyes, he opened it, to see a very wide awake and excited looking Vi brandishing a letter in his face. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>"We have the seal of approval! We can administer it to the students!" Harry winced at the volume of her voice so early after just waking up. Vi pushed past him and started pacing between his fireplace and desk. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good morning to you too...." he said, but his tone was not grumpy. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Harry. Harry did you hear me? The potion is safe - we can cure the students. They can be home in time for Christmas."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>As he processed what she was saying, he felt himself wake up more significantly. "What? St Mungo's got back to you?" She nodded. "That's amazing!" The last of his sleepiness vanished. "Let's go, what time is it? Will Madame Cannenta be awake?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's six thirty, so she should be. She doesn't sleep very much at the moment. You're right, there's no time to lose! Get dressed. I'll wait outside." She marched back outside as Harry scrambled to find clothes and pull them on quickly as possible. He ran a hand through his hair, shoved his wand into his back pocket, and ran to the door. He pulled it open excitedly, revealing Vi bobbing on the balls of her feet impatiently. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good, that took less than a minute. Let's go!" She was clutching the letter very tightly in her hand, as if worried it might disintegrate or get blown away in the drafty castle. Together they quick-marched through the corridors, taking shortcuts where they could. Within ten minutes they were out of breath and barging as quietly as they could through the doors to the Hospital Wing. Madam Cannenta looked up expectantly, but with a slightly admonishing expression at their entrance. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well? Have you heard back? What did they say?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Safe," was all Vi needed to gasp out before Cannenta was running to her office. She came back with both hands full of individual vials containing the shimmering blue potion that Harry had helped concoct. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're sure?" Anxiety and relief were at war in her tone, and in her expression, but when Vi held out the letter, still keeping it in an iron grip, the anxiety was washed away. "Good. Take these," she handed each of them two bottles each, "and give them to those students over there." She indicated four students closest to the doors. "Wake them up, sit them up, explain what's happening, and get them to drink it."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry didn't need telling twice. He took the vials, and headed over to his first student. She was a tiny first year. On the outside, it was almost impossible to tell she was sick. Maybe a little paler than usual, but her dark skin hid it well. There was a thin sheen of sweat across her brow - evidence of a fever. He sat on the chair beside her bed, and gently put his hand on her shoulder. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Saffi....Saffi wake up," he used the tone he used when his own children were sick. She stirred, and blinked slowly up at him. Her eyes were glazed, as if she was still in a dream. "Saffi I have a potion here that's going to help you. Can you sit up so you can drink it?" She stared dazedly at him, and for a moment he worried she didn't understand him. Then she pushed herself ever so slowly into an upright position. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He held the vial as she drank, guiding it and making sure it was empty before he took it back. "Well done, you'll feel all better soon." He didn't want to promise that she'd be home for Christmas until it was absolutely certain, so he left her with a smile, and went to his next patient. He repeated the process with a fourth year in the next bed, then joined Vi waiting for Madame Cannenta to give her final dose. She ushered them into chairs at the end of the ward, where they could watch and easily reach the students if anything went wrong. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What happens now?" Harry murmured.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It should take effect quickly, from what we saw with the toad, and what the Healers said." Vi muttered back. "Hopefully they're completely cured of the sickness - the Healers gave me a list of spells for Madame Cannenta to use to check - then we send them home with instructions for parents to keep an eye on them over the next few days. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Have you told Neville?" Harry asked.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I sent him a note before I came to you this morning - but he has to come up from Hogsmeade, and he might not have been awake when the note arrived."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He nodded, still watching the students carefully. There had been seven of them who had been deemed well enough to stay at Hogwarts rather than go to St Mungo's. Harry picked at the sleeve of his jumper as they waited for the potion to take effect. It didn't take long. A few minutes after they had all sat down, Saffi stirred from where she'd been leaning against the headboard. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She lifted a hand to her forehead, and groaned slightly. All three were up in an instant and rushing over to her. Madame Cannenta got there first. She took Safeyya's temperature, and lifted her head to look into her eyes. Harry could see they were far more focused than they had been five minutes ago. There was another groan from across the room, and the student Vi had gone to first was rubbing her face. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ask Safeyya how she's doing, I'm going to go between the rest of them." Ordered Cannenta. Harry sat down next to Saffi again as Vi followed Cannenta. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How do you feel?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thirsty," she croaked. Harry poured her a glass of water from the jug on the bedside and offered it to her. She took it gratefully, and he waited until her thirst was sated before asking more questions. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What's your name?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She laughed. "Safeyya, I'm in Ravenclaw, and I'm 11 years old. My birthday is in 7 and a half weeks, and I have two sisters, who are in Hufflepuff."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry grinned. She was definitely brighter than she had been when he'd woken her up. "Do you feel feverish?" She shook her head. "Are you in any pain?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"My head is throbbing a bit, and my hands tingle slightly, but not really pain..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry frowned. He didn't know loads about medicine, but he felt that she shouldn't have tingling hands. "How did you get sick, Safeyya? Do you know?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She shook her head. "I barely remember the day I got ill...I had flying class in the morning, then potions, then charms, then I don't remember much until I fainted at lunch time....or that might have been the day after...It's all very fuzzy." She gave an apologetic smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"That's ok, it's not too important. Don't worry about it for now, we're going to check if the sickness is fully gone, and see if we can get you home." Her answering beam made the stress from researching worth it, in his opinion. He topped up her glass of water, then moved to the next bed, repeating his questioning. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As he finished questioning the boy, Neville barrelled through the door, looking and sounding like he'd run from Hogsmeade. He was panting, hard, and had a wild look in his eyes. Harry smiled for what felt like the fiftieth time in half an hour. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are they...?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"They're fine, Neville, look." Harry gestured around, and Neville took in the ward. The seven students who had been ill were all sitting up and starting to chat amongst themselves. Relief washed over Neville's face, and he visibly relaxed, even if he was still out of breath.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good," he breathed, "I'm so pleased it worked. Are they completely cured?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry opened his mouth to say he didn't know yet, when Madame Cannenta spoke, her voice tight.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No." A silence fell over the students, and everyone turned to look at her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What?" Chorused seven voices.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"They are safe enough to go home, by my reckoning, but those who I have already checked, still have trace amounts of the sickness. Hopefully, the Healers can build on what you three created, but it is far beyond my skill set at this point."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry sighed. They'd worked so hard...he wondered what it was that had gone wrong. What had they missed that allowed this to happen? The other two seemed to be thinking the same thing. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"But we can go home? Spend Christmas with our families?" Asked a seventh year.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes, I will write instructions for your parents to keep an eye on you, and if any of you feel even a little ill, or faint, I urge you to go to St Mungo's as soon as you can. But yes, you can all go home. As it's only seven am, there should be plenty of time for you all to pack your bags and still make the train home. Or you can stay, and we'll organise floo travel for you later. I would suggest the train though, if you have the energy. Floo travel isn't recommended for those who aren't fit and well. You can of course stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, which I personally recommend, but I do understand that your families are all worried about you, and going home could be good for you all."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>All of them agreed they'd have breakfast in the Hospital Wing, then pack their trunks to head home with the rest of the school who weren't staying over the holidays. Harry gestured to the other two teachers to join him outside. They gave their thanks and good-byes to Cannenta, and slipped out the doors. He wasted no time.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What did we miss?" His tone was sharp, but with stress rather than anger. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The other two looked as lost as he felt. Vi was the first to speak. "We did what we could, Harry. We need to let the Healers do the rest. This is their speciality -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's yours too," he interrupted brusquely. Vi's expression hardened, her tone one of warning. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No. My speciality is all potions. Their creation and their adaptation, but not Healing. Healing is a very specialist branch of magic that I have dabbled in, but only under close supervision. All throughout this whole floral fuckery I've been in almost constant contact with the hospital to ensure I wasn't doing anything dangerous or wrong. Don't you pin this on me Mr Potter. We worked on this together, all of us, and none of us can blame another for it not being perfect."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry opened his mouth to apologise, regretting his short tone. Her expression softened a little. "No, it's ok. Just...don't take this out on me, Harry. I'm only 25, I did what I could; let the Healers do their job now. That's all we can do."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville had been watching the exchange warily. "Vi's right, Harry. We've exhausted all our options and ideas. We need to trust the professionals now."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right. I'm sorry, it all just got to me."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I get it, but like....don't take it out on your friends." Vi poked him in the ribs. The words echoed in his mind, reminding him of all the times he'd heard Ron and Hermione say the very same thing to him when they were teenagers. He sighed; he thought he'd grown out of that, but apparently not so much as he'd believed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Breakfast?" They both agreed, looking brighter, and together the three of them headed down to the Great Hall.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry being Harry, he couldn't just let it go. He wanted to know what they'd missed, what had gone wrong.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Maybe if we knew where they'd come from," he said suddenly, startling the other two. He had been silently brooding over his porridge until that point. "Maybe then we'd know how to fix it."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The other two shared a glance. "Maybe...but Harry, everything points to it being a seed just happened to be dropped by a bird, or blown over the boundaries by a storm. The chances of finding out where they came from...." Vi shook her head despondently. There was no way they'd be able to trace a single seed. "I'm sorry. I know it's frustrating, but that's one mystery we can't solve."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"But WHY," exclaimed Harry, "can't we find reference to the flowers' effects in <em>any</em> book we've searched through?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neville sighed. "Harry we've been through this. The plant is only ever grown for its roots and for its leaves. The stem is always discarded, the flowers never allowed to bloom. Probably for good reason, but the passages we've found about the flower have been in such ancient books; any record of this sickness happening before has probably been lost or...I don't know, fallen apart. Parchment doesn't last forever."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry knew he was right, and slumped back in his seat. He rubbed his palms into his eyes, knocking his glasses askew. "Sorry, you're right. You're right..." He dropped it, and the rest of the meal passed in relative silence, each of them lost deeply in their thought. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>After breakfast, he said his good-byes, and headed back to his rooms. He pulled out the samples of the blue flowers, and stared at them. They'd all been very careful not to touch them directly. Gloves had been worn at all times, and goggles for those who didn't wear glasses. Wards had been cast to prevent any rogue pieces of the flower touching their bare skin. Harry poked one of the flowers with his wand, and it floated into the air, spinning delicately and slowly in front of him at eye-height. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He considered it as it spun, trying to think of what they hadn't already thought of. He spent three hours shuffling through notes and trying to figure something else out. He gave up when an owl tapped on his window bearing a letter from Ginny reminding him he was meant to be coming home that day and she knew he'd get distracted by work but she needed him to help deal with Teddy, James, Albus, and Lily all being at home at the same time because their sons were mischievous teenagers, and also she missed him. He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. She was right, it was getting late in the morning and he was meant to be packing. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He gave the owl a treat and a drink, and it flew off again. He locked the window, then went back to his desk, frowning at the little flower. "You've caused far more trouble than you're worth," he muttered at it. It continued spinning. Harry flicked his wand angrily at it, intending to destroy it with a burst of fire. They had other samples, after all. Instead, it exploded all over him, a great cloud of pollen disproportionate to the size of the flower covering his clothes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Luckily, he was still wearing gloves, and he had thrown up an arm to protect his face as best he could. His wards should still have been active too, so none of it went on the bits of his face or neck that were exposed. He vanished it all with another flick of wand, and set to packing. Had he been able to see the back of his arms, he would have realised he had not been quite as thorough as he had thought...</p>
</div><div>
  <p>An hour later found Harry in his travelling cloak, small trunk in one hand, saying goodbye to the other teachers, and making his way down to Hogsmeade. He'd floo home from the pub he'd arrived through several months ago. He stepped into the fire, pulling his cloak close around him, and shot off home. He timed his journey, and braced his legs for impact when he knew it was almost time. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>His feet slammed into the fireplace at home, and he hopped slightly to avoid falling over. He stepped out onto the hearth, brushing soot off his cloak. He looked up as he heard footsteps hurrying towards the lounge. A mane of red hair appeared momentarily before it engulfed his his face as Ginny hugged him. He laughed and dropped his trunk, reciprocating the hug just as tight.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I've missed you, you barely came home at all! I've had to put up with Marjorie next door for weeks you have no idea how <em>annoying</em> she is in large doses, she just doesn't shut up, constantly going on and on and on about her  wonderful  grandchildren and their  wonderful  achievements in the muggle world <em>and</em> the wizarding world, and honestly I just wish I could get a word in edgeways to say how proud I am of our children and my brothers and what they've achieved -" when she paused for breath Harry kissed her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I've missed you too. I'll make sure you don't have to see Marjorie again for the next two weeks, it's alright," he grinned as she rolled her eyes at him. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You always make unrealistic promises," she grumbled. He made to interrupt her, pretending to be mortally offended, and she smacked him on the arm. "You do, and you know it," she said, her eyes sparkling with joy. He'd missed her teasing, and kissed her on the top of the head. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're right, I do, and I'm sorry. What can I do to help today?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She set him to work immediately, chopping vegetables ready for lunch, which would then be heated up for tea when the children got home. He hung up his travelling cloak by the front door,, and got chopping. Teddy was out running errands Ginny explained when Harry asked about his whereabouts. They spent the day catching up, and preparing for Christmas. They'd been compiling presents for the past month, with Harry ordering things by owl post and getting them sent home. They had lunch together, then wrapped presents for the afternoon. When Teddy arrived back, he gave them a mischievous smile and disappeared upstairs. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I will never understand 21 year old boys...even though I was one once." Harry mused as he added another finished present to the pile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"He'll have been out either buying gifts, or with Victoire. They're still going strong, which is nice," Ginny commented idly, concentrating on making a perfect corner. When they'd finished wrapping, they lit the fire. Harry took off his jumper and laid it over the back of the sofa. He and Ginny curled up together, chatting, cherishing the peace and quiet while they could. They needed to be at the station to collect their three children in the early evening, but it didn't take long to get there. </p>
</div><hr/>
<p>"Put your trunks upstairs, don't leave them in the hallway! BOYS!" Harry yelled as his sons bolted for the kitchen as soon as they got through the door. They ignored him, deciding food was more important right then. Harry rolled his eyes, not really annoyed. He was too used to it to not have expected it. </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>They would take them upstairs when they'd had a snack. "And put your wands in our room please, we're not getting in trouble with the Ministry this Christmas...again." He reminded them, as he followed them into the kitchen. They gave him innocent looks with wide eyes and he laughed. "That has never been convincing. Put them in our room when you go up."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Lily was in the lounge, where she'd pulled on Harry's jumper and was admiring how long the sleeves were on her. "Look dad, I'm you!" One of the sleeves smacked her in the face as she swung it, pretending to tell someone off. He snorted and flopped down into an arm chair. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Very convincing Lily -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Not as convincing as this," came Teddy's voice from the doorway. Harry looked over and had a very disconcerting moment of staring into his own face, minus the glasses. Lily burst out laughing and pulled off the jumper. She dropped it on the floor, where it crumpled into a pile, and jumped on Teddy, enveloping him in a hug. Harry rolled his eyes, but left the jumper where it was. He'd pick it up when he got up.  Following the impact of an 11 year old colliding with him, Teddy's appearance went back to normal. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The plan was to go to The Burrow the next day, so the evening was spent re-packing their bags. Harry couldn't stop thinking about the potion, the flower, and the students who had been in St Mungo's. He tried to distract himself by helping others pack, but got sent away when he kept packing the wrong things. He tried to do some cleaning (the muggle way) instead, but it wasn't engaging enough to keep his attention. He eventually gave up, and sat down with a book in front of the fire. As he sat there, staring at the fire more than reading, there was a fluttering at the window. An unfamiliar owl soared through the always open window, landing on the arm of his chair. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>There was a quickly scrawled note in its beak. Harry took it. It was from the person he'd least expected: Malfoy. He frowned, and read it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Potter,</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Forgive the intrusion, but we need to discuss the recent illness at Hogwarts. If convenient, I will floo message you at half past the hour. If inconvenient, I will do it anyway. </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>D. Malfoy. Healer. </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry tossed the note in the fire and glanced at his watch. It was 28 past. He watched the seconds tick by, then as soon as the minute hand on his watch his half past, there was a faint popping noise, and Malfoy's head appeared in the fire. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Potter," he drawled. He hadn't lost the naturally pompous tone he'd had through school. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Malfoy, how...." he cast about for the right word, "unexpected."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Is it, really?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No it's a very typically presumptuous Malfoy move, just very short notice. What did you want to discuss?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The potion which you, Longbottom, and Allium created. It was excellent, nothing like what two of you used to create at school. Those remedial potions lessons must have been worth it," he smirked.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes, well, we've had a couple of decades to improve since then. But thank you, I guess?" Harry really wasn't sure how to take it, but eventually decided on as a compliment, if he ignored the snide remark at the end. He waited for Malfoy to continue. He seemed to be considering what to say very carefully.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You are aware, it didn't fully eradicate the poison?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry sighed. "I know, we aren't sure what we did wrong." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I think you need to put in the exact bit of the flower that caused the sickness. Otherwise it's too generic. It does what it can, but it's not pure enough to target the specific source of poison." Harry noted that he wasn't being patronising, and didn't say he knew that's what they'd done wrong, or rubbing it in his face, which he definitely would have done during their time at school together. He sounded more respectful than Harry had ever heard him. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"So what do you suggest?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Malfoy ran a hand through his hair. It made him look more ruffled than Harry had seen him in years. "Have you got any more samples? I know McGonagall cleared the school of fresh flowers, but preserved ones would be invaluable right now."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry considered. "I have some in my trunk upstairs, give me a minute." He went to fetch some flowers. When he got back, Malfoy was murmuring to someone Harry couldn't see. He cleared his throat, and Malfoy glanced at him. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"One second, I'm busy," he drawled. Harry stared at him incredulously. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You called me!" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Malfoy looked at him sideways. "Hm. What have you got for me?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I have four flowers spare, I've put them in this box for you. Don't touch them."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm not an idiot, Potter." Malfoy snapped. "Give them to me." Malfoy's hand appeared in the flames, and Harry handed over the little box. "I have to go."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How are the students in St Mungo's?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Malfoy hesitated. "They're better....we've been able to remove the stasis spell, but they're not great. We're keeping them in for monitoring until tomorrow morning. Thank you," the thanks sounded strained, as if he was forcing it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're welcome. Do good with them, Malfoy." Another small pop, and Malfoy's head disappeared. Ginny poked her head around the door. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Were you talking to Malfoy?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, he's still a dick."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What a surprise," Ginny intoned sarcastically. "No change there then," she said, before disappearing again. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Disaster Falls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following afternoon, they were all standing in the hallway with bags at their feet. Harry and Ginny had spent the morning dragging their teenagers and teenagers-to-be out of bed, confiscating their wands for the third time in 18 hours, and trying to get them to pack the things they actually needed for The Burrow, rather than everything they owned. James and Albus had taken most of their attention, whilst Lily followed instructions in a sleepy daze. He kissed her on the top of the head when she appeared for breakfast, and she offered him a tired smile in return. </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>She'd always been one to build up to mischief slowly. She often seemed to start the weekends and holidays in a slight trance, then as she became more accustomed to the new routine, she became more herself again. Harry wasn't worried; she'd be back to her cheeky, cheerful self in a day or so. He hoped the large family dinner they were having that night might perk her up a bit. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As it neared one o'clock, the Potter family stood arguing in the hallway about whether they had everything, and if anyone needed the toilet before they went, and could James please remove the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products from his bag/pockets/shoes because George was bound to have plenty he could experiment with when they arrived, and could Teddy please stop mimicking Ginny as she told off her other children and be a responsible adult. There was a sudden pause in the argument before the children and Teddy all burst out laughing at the very thought. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry rolled his eyes, accio-ed the products from James (earning a cry of indignation), and picked up his own bag. "Alright!" He shouted, and the laughing died down to snickers. "Grab your bags, go outside, pack the car, then get in the car and put your seat belts on. Now." Still laughing to themselves, everyone filed out past Harry, and headed to the magically altered car. Ginny sighed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ready to face the madhouse?" She muttered.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry grinned. "As long as we're together, I'm ready to face anything." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She gave him a quick peck on the lips, and followed the others to the car. Harry came after, locking the door with a flick of his wand, hearing various locks click into place. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As had been everyone's guess, The Burrow was a hive of activity and tasks that needed doing before even more people arrived. The house had been extended over the last fifteen years or so, once Molly Weasley had finally accepted that her 6 children did not need her and Arthur's constant financial support and they'd had more to live on. His retirement fund was proving to be substantial too, though Harry suspected George had sneakily added some of the profits from the joke shop to the pot. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>There were now rooms enough for each of her children and their partner, and a small room for each grandchild. There was also a larger room with enough bunk-beds to sleep them all, if they wanted to spend all their time together scheming. So when the Potters arrived, they were greeted jubilantly, then immediately set to work making beds and lighting fires to make sure the rooms would be warm for the night. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>More families were arriving by the hour. Ron and Hermione were already there, along with Bill and Fleur, and Harry and Ginny had been third. Throughout the afternoon Charlie and his husband, Percy and Audrey, George with Angelina, and all the grandchildren arrived. It was hectic, and felt almost like being in Diagon Alley at the end of August, but everyone was happy to be home. They all took on jobs from the long list Molly had compiled, and by the time the sun was setting in the early evening, almost everything had been crossed off.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Harry dear, will you let Bill and Charlie know it's time to get the tables out?" Molly asked him distractedly, keeping her eye on five different pots bubbling away. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Of course!" Harry went to hunt out the eldest Weasley sons, and relayed the message. They pushed up their sleeves, and went out into the garden. There was a long pavilion set up, with fireplaces and table settings for the masses waiting to be arranged. It was easier eating out there than in the cramped dining room. Harry joined Bill and Charlie in levitating tables into position, then setting enough places for the entire family. Harry got to work on the fireplaces at either end of the tent, ensuring with a little magic that they'd burn until the last person left the table. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As darkness began to truly fall, family members brought in food enough to feed the thousands. Everyone found a seat and began helping themselves. Molly's cooking hadn't slipped a bit as she aged; it all still tasted as good as it had ever done. Compliments showered down like confetti, and the mood was jovial. Harry was engaged in a very interesting discussion with Percy about the state of international wand licensing, which he never would have thought he'd find at all gripping. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oi, scarface!" Came the affectionate call from Ron a few seats down, as plates started to be cleared away to the kitchen to make space for pudding. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. It had never been his favourite nickname. "Forgot to say, spoke to Malfoy the other day."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, so did I," Harry replied dryly. "Isn't he still a delight?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ron snorted. "Yeah he's still the world's biggest prat, but he was saying some nice stuff about you. Distrusted it, 'course, but he said something about you and Neville making potions for the sick students?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh yeah, I haven't had time to fill you in on everything, sorry." Harry explained what he, Neville, and Vi had been doing to help, and even Hermione seemed impressed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Where was this attitude when we were at school?" She teased.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Hey, we figured out the Stone, and the Chamber, the Triwizard tasks, and we became aurors with only six years of teaching. I'll have you know I've always been this dedicated to research." He was of course only in part serious. He knew his attitude at school had been less than stellar but hey, it had been decades since school.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Pudding!" Announced Lily from the entrance to the tent. A cheer erupted from the children, which turned quickly into cries of concern. Lily had taken one step towards the table, her flushed face beaming, only for her legs to collapse from under her. She seemed to fall forwards in slow motion. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry saw the flash of several wands whipped from pockets, and at least three voices cast a cushioning charm. He leapt across the table, glad the space opposite him was empty, jumped over the fallen pudding, and scooped his daughter into his arms as he knelt beside her. He heard and saw nothing but her ragged breathing and her face shining with a sheen of sweat. She was burning up in his arms, and he felt his throat constrict with worry.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ginny was a millisecond behind him, her eyes blazing in concern. "What happened?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry murmured a newly learned spell of diagnosis, and his heart nearly stopped. "She has the same thing as the other students..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I don't know," Harry racked his brains, but couldn't come up with any answers in the panicked state he was in. "But we have to get her to St Mungo's. They have the almost cure and soon they'll have a proper cure. She's going to be fine." He sounded unconvincing even to himself. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh Merlin..." Ginny whispered, wiping Lily's brow with the edge of her sleeve. "She's so warm." Harry could hear the fear in her voice and could see the tears in her eyes. He expression was more open than he'd seen it in a long time. He reached a reassuring hand towards her, hoping to alleviate some of her pain. She took it and he squeezed it gently.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"She'll be ok. The Healers will help her," he sounded more convincing that he had a second ago, despite the pit that had opened in his stomach. The lack of conviction he felt didn't transfer to his voice, and the anxiety pressing down on Ginny seemed to lessen ever so slightly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>There was silence around the table. Harry had never heard such a large gathering so quiet before. "Molly, do you have any floo powder? I don't want to apparate with her in this condition."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes dear, by the fireplace. You two take her now, get her to the Healers." Molly's voice was saturated with concern. Harry nodded, lifting Lily as he rose.  Her long hair trailed towards the ground as her head lolled in Harry's arms. He readjusted his grip to be more secure, and pulled her in close. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ginny led the way, pushing through the cluttered house to get to the large fireplace. "You go first, I'll follow. I'll send a warning to the hospital." She waved her wand, and a shining horse flew out the end. It tossed its mane and galloped out the house, disappearing into the distance. "Go. We don't know how strong the dose that poisoned her was."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry didn't have the mental space to process that and respond, so instead he threw some floo powder into the gently burning fire. It roared high and green, and he stepped into it. The warmth that enveloped him was almost comforting. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," he spoke as clearly as he could, emotion choking him. He saw Ginny looking as scared as he'd ever seen her, before he was hurtling away from her, Lily gripped tightly to him. The spinning came to an abrupt end a minute later, and Harry stepped out the fireplace to see a small ring of serious looking Healers waiting for him with a stretcher.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Help, please." He held out his unconscious daughter, stumbling another step forward. She was gently laid onto the stretcher, just as Ginny arrived in a burst of green flame behind him. Her hair was flying around her head in the wind from the fire and she looked fierce and positively angelic. He felt her grip his hand, and he gave what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze back as Lily was carried away. They were about to follow when they heard someone call their names. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Potter, Weasley." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>They looked in the direction of the voice. It was Malfoy, though his tone was not the sneering one they were used to, and there was a certain seriousness etched into his expression that made Harry see him in a different light. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I just heard your daughter is being admitted." It wasn't a question, but they both nodded anyway. Malfoy frowned slightly. "I've been running tests on the samples you gave me. I think I'm close to a cure. Will you help me, Potter?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry gaped at him. "Help...you?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Close your mouth, you look like an idiot." Malfoy snapped. "We're both professionals, and both parents. I have already acknowledged your skill in creating this potion. Now I need your help refining it, since you know the modifications done to our earlier version more in depth than it's possible to put down onto paper."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry shut his mouth with an audible snap. He turned to Ginny, who was looking in the direction Lily had been taken. His heart twinged painfully. "Go, be with her, if they'll let you. If they've got any of the potion left that we created, she'll be awake any minute. It'd be best if you were there when she wakes up," he kissed her gently on the forehead, and let go of her hand. She looked at him, and he could read a myriad of feelings in her eyes. She couldn't seem to make her voice work. She groped for words a couple of times before giving up, nodding, and walking briskly after the Healers. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ok, let's see what we can do," Harry said to Malfoy. </p>
</div><hr/><p>Malfoy led him silently at a quick walk down one corridor after another until they reached a small lab. There were a number of potions being mixed, and a few bubbling away cheerfully. Harry was taken to one with a silver potion he recognised as the start of his, Neville's, and Vi's updated creation. </p><p>"We created one as close to yours as we could, and it's been successful to a point, but obviously it's still not perfect." He circled to the other side of the cauldron. "I've managed to rule out the possibilities of the roots and the stem being the cause, which we already thought but couldn't prove. I have proved it. It's a long and tedious process, so if you could jog your memory a little to remember what happened prior to your daughter being poisoned, it would greatly help my investigations." He looked expectantly at Harry.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>Harry however, was in somewhat of a daze. All he could think about was Lily fainting. The scene replayed over and over again in his mind's eye, and he couldn't seem to bring himself out of it. He saw her collapse, the pudding she'd been carrying flying out of her hands and crashing to the floor, on replay. He'd managed to focus long enough to get her to the hospital, but as soon as she'd been taken away and Ginny had gone after her, his brain seemed to have short-circuited. He barely saw the potion after an initial burst of recognition, and hadn't really taken in what Malfoy had just said. He was vaguely aware he'd been asked something, but he wasn't processing what it was. He heard Malfoy say something else, as if from a great distance, and forced himself to look into the grey eyes across the table. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What?" He said quietly. Malfoy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if Harry was testing his patience. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I said, if you could pull your head out your arse for five minutes, I need you to recount the last few days to me so we can figure out what happened."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Indignation and anger broke through Harry's haziness. "My daughter has just been poisoned, and you think I have my head up my arse? I'll shove your head -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Potter for goodness' sake I just need you to concentrate," Malfoy snapped. "Lily is in a very serious condition, considering she's only just collapsed, suggesting that she's had a very large dose of the poison. You have to think. Sit down. What happened?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry squashed the rage threatening to rear its head as he sat on a stool. Something about being around Malfoy, even after all these years, made him angry. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. <em>"Pudding!" Lily announced, beaming. No,</em> Harry thought. <em>I have to figure this out.</em> He thought back three days. He'd spent all day teaching, all evening marking work for Neville and Vi. The next day had been three lessons of teaching, one lesson catching up on his own marking, and the rest of the day doing more research into the flower. He'd exhausted every book by that point and was just re-reading to see what he might have missed. He'd stopped when it was time for the feast, then they'd finished and tested the potion on Neville's hat's toad. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Then it had been yesterday. It had started so well...delivering the potion that hadn't worked as well as they'd hoped. He'd been angry at himself for missing the vital part of the flower, had been sharp with Vi....and he'd gone back to his rooms. He could picture it all clearly as he recounted his days to Malfoy. He had pulled out a flower and was examining it and their notes. An owl came from Ginny, and he remembered he was meant to be going home for the holidays. He cast a spell in anger and... "OH!" The remaining fog cleared from his mind. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It exploded all over me. More pollen than I would have thought possible from such a tiny flower. I vanished it all from my clothes," he remembered. He had cleared what he could, but he hadn't double checked. Maybe there was still pollen on the jumper. "But how did it get to Lily?" he mused. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Keep going," Malfoy said quietly. His tone was almost gentle, which Harry never would have expected from him. He had been watching Harry with an intensity that was almost intimidating. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He recalled he'd packed, thrown on his travelling cloak, and gone home. Ginny had hugged him, but he'd still had the cloak on. She wouldn't have touched any pollen he'd missed. He'd started helping prep food, Teddy had come home, they'd been wrapping presents, he'd taken off the jumper and curled up on the sofa until it was time to get the children. They came home, and..."Oh Merlin," breathed Harry. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Lily was wearing the jumper. The sleeve hit her in the face. If there was still pollen on it, she got a face-full of it. I should have been more careful," he breathed, anguish twisting his insides. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"So it's the pollen?" Malfoy was already busy with the flowers, which were inside a large glass box. He'd moved as soon as Harry had mentioned the flower exploding. He did a complicated little movement with his wand, and the flower separated into four parts; the stem, the leaves, the petals, and pollen. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I guess so..." Harry was mentally kicking himself for not realising it sooner. It made sense. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Here, cast the right spells as I stir it all in."  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry was caught off-guard. He hadn't realised how soon the potion could be ready. He leapt to his feet and crossed the short distance to the cauldron. Pulling out his wand, he scanned the recipe Vi had sent to St Mungo's, just to remind himself. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>For the next ten minutes, he was more tense than he'd been all day. It was difficult, concentrating with the intensity that Malfoy expected from him. He carefully articulated the spells, moving his wand very deliberately to ensure he did nothing wrong. Excruciatingly slowly, once Malfoy added the pollen, the potion began to change colour. The two of them watched, Malfoy still stirring, as it melted from silver to grey, back to silver, to turquoise, and then finally, into a forget-me-not blue that matched the flowers perfectly. Harry stared at it, mouth agape.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Is it ready?" His heart was beating fast, and he was anxious to get it to Lily. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes, but it should be tested first -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"DAMN THE TESTS!" Harry heard himself shout. He reigned himself in. "My daughter might almost be dead," he continued through gritted teeth. "And you want to waste time testing the cure?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Malfoy glared at him, grey eyes flashing dangerously. "She is not nearly dying, there was still some of <em>your</em> potion left. If we did this wrong, it could exacerbate the poison, and actually kill her. Yes, I want to test it. It's not just your daughter at stake here, it's what seems like half the student population. They were sent home this morning, but they will need to be brought back when we have a complete cure."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry matched the glare, heart still pounding. He couldn't logically argue; he was right, it was too dangerous just to administer it. "Fine," he spat. "But be quick about it."</p>
</div><hr/><p>Half an hour later found a very on-edge Harry pacing up and down outside the office where Malfoy was testing the potion. He checked his watch every twenty seconds, and by the time that half an hour had passed he could barely take it. He'd been to check on Lily, and she hadn't woken up yet, despite the less effective antidote. He was obsessing and blaming himself for what had happened.</p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>Ginny had tried to console him, and it had worked for a while, but then he'd left to find out if Malfoy was done yet, and he was overthinking again. So he paced. And he paced. And paced a bit more. Another fifteen minutes ticked by, and he felt like he was about to lose his mind. He banged on the office door, just as it swung open. He nearly pounded Malfoy in the face. Harry thought fleetingly that he'd deserve it, for taking so long, before berating himself. Lily wouldn't have a chance without Malfoy. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well?" He demanded. The despondent look he got in return was answer enough. He backed away, a mess of emotion tangling inside him. He hit the wall opposite and sank to the floor. It hadn't worked...it should have worked. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm sorry, Harry." The surprise of hearing Malfoy use his first name was almost enough to shock him out of his grief. Almost. "We did everything we could with this one. We'll keep working. there were just too many side effects to be deemed safe. I think the pollen needs to be more concentrated. Go and be with your daughter, the Healers will figure this out. I've sent them a memo, they'll put her in stasis..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry was numb. Everything had drained out of him and he was now just a shell. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Harry, you need to tell your wife. I've sent a memo to the Healers telling them to cast the spell, but not any details. Go. Explain to Weasley that we'll do everything we can as quickly as possible."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He obeyed, trudging dolefully through the corridors until he reached Lily's ward. She was the only one on it for the moment; it had emptied when all the other students affected had been sent home, and had not yet had time to be re-purposed. Ginny looked up as Harry entered, her expression one of desperation. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What's going on, Harry? No one's telling me anything." She wasn't looking at his face, but checking his hands for a vial or a solution. "The Healers came and put her in stasis, but won't tell me more." It pained him to have to tell her, and he could barely speak his throat was so tight. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It didn't work. There were too many side-effects," Ginny crumpled into a chair at his words. "The Healers are still working on it. They don't know how long it'll take." He sat down heavily in a chair on the other side of their daughter. He took Lily's smooth hand in his own rough one, and squeezed. Ginny did the same on the other side. They sat in silence for the following hour, lost in their own worry. Every so often one of them would glance at the other, and then to their daughter between them. There was no change. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Another twenty minutes ticked slowly by before anyone spoke. "I need a drink. I'm going to find a cup of tea, will you let me know if anything changes while I'm gone?" Ginny said. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, and Harry nodded. "I'll get you one too," she added with a hint of a smile. He returned it and nodded again, unable to find any words. She left, glancing back over her shoulder every few steps just in case there was a change. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry was alone. He took deep breaths to try and steady himself. Ginny's presence had been enough to stabilise him and help keep him from spiralling, and now she wasn't there he found it difficult to control the tempest in his mind. He clenched his free hand into a fist on his knee, then spread his fingers wide. He repeated this over and over to give himself something to focus on. Focus on the sensation, on the movement, on the stretching and the contraction. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the racing thoughts. Snape's voice came back to him. <em>Close your mind, Potter. </em> Harry started, eyes flying open. He looked around wildly, as if expecting to see the old Professor in the room. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He shook his head and leaned back when it was obvious he was still alone. He sighed, and took a deep, calming breath. Snape had a point. Maybe he could close his mind to his own thoughts for a bit. Block them out for a little while, allow himself to rest. After all, the Healers knew what they were doing, and he trusted them to do everything they could. It didn't sound very convincing, but he was trying. He was so tired. He let his eyes close gently, and his head droop. He had mastered occlumency as an auror, without the threat of Voldemort looming over him. He employed the same tricks to close his mind off to the rush of anxiety and panic threatening to spill over.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Moments later, his mind was clear, and he was breathing deeply. He did not hear his wife come back in with two cups of tea. He did not see the soft smile that lit up her face as she spotted him finally resting. Nor did he see her sit down and keep a watchful eye over the pair of them, waiting for news to arrive from the Healers. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>All Harry saw was darkness as he slept. He hadn't slept so peacefully in a long time, but there was always a pressure behind the darkness threatening to spill over and run riot in his sleep. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry was woken by the sound of the door opening. He looked blearily across to Ginny, who was reaching out as if about to wake him up. "How long was I out for?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She looked glad to see he had woken up. "All night and most of the morning, it's just past midday. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you for anything. In any case, nothing changed while you were asleep." He gave her a grateful smile, then registered the sound of brisk footsteps on the tiled floor.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He was instantly wide awake, all his focus on the Healer now hurrying towards them. Ginny was his mirror, her body tense and still. She did not look like she had slept at all while he had; dark circles had formed under her eyes and her usually wild hair was even more tangled than usual. Guilt stabbed at Harry's insides. He forced it down, making a note to ensure he made it up to Ginny as soon as he could. The Healer did not speak until she was only a metre or so away. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We have good news."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>A wave of relief broke over the Potters, and they sagged a little from their ram-rod straight positions. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Healer Malfoy has manged to concentrate the pollen, and has created a new draft. It's in the final stages of testing, and seems to be fully effective. We administered it to a test subject twelve hours ago, and so far the subject has shown no signs of the illness. In a few hours we should be certain if it is safe for humans." Harry couldn't believe it. It was more than he could have hoped for. "We will be contacting the patients who have gone home to get them back in to administer it to all those affected." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you," both of them said in unison. The Healer looked as tired as Ginny, so the Potters did not ply her with questions. She seemed appreciative of it as she walked away. They looked at each other, speechless. Their smiles matched, and seemed to light up the ward. They looked down at Lily between them. They both reached to brush her hair away from her forehead at the same time, They sat together in tranquillity for a short while, before Harry started to feel restless again. The storm of worry had at last subsided, but he had been sitting and sleeping uncomfortably in a chair for the past Merlin knows how long. He stretched, and stood up gingerly. His legs protested the change of position, but held his weight. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I need a walk, and you need sleep. It's going to be a few hours before anything happens, why don't you take one of the spare beds here and try sleeping? I'm sure they'll wake you if anything happens." Harry said gently. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ginny glanced around the ward. There were a lot of beds that did look very inviting. She was so tired. She nodded. "Ok. Will you get in touch with the rest of the family? There was a letter in the night asking how it was all going. I think there's a floo point a few wards down, and they're all still at Tthe Burrow if you want to call them." She was already making her way over to the bed next to Lily's, and lying down. Her voice trailed off sleepily at the end, and Harry grinned. She was asleep before she finished talking. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry kissed the sleeping pair on their foreheads, and headed out of the ward. He felt restless, but no longer with anxiety. He wandered around the corridors for a few minutes, following signs depicting green fire, until he reached a set of rooms each with small fireplaces and a comfortable place to lie or kneel in front of them. He shut the door behind him in one of them, and threw some powder onto the gently crackling fire. He called the Burrow, and updated them all with what was happening. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>By the time he was through answering everyone's questions, his knees ached. Cushioned as the floor was, floo-calls were not designed to be long. He made his farewells, and pulled his head out the fire. His stomach gave a loud growl, and he realised he had not eaten in a very long time. Breakfast, then. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He sourced himself some food, and took a portion for Ginny too. He bought some treats for Lily for when she woke up, and headed back to his daughter, filled with a quiet hope that everything would soon be back to normal. He glanced at a clock above the ward's door and was startled to realise it was three o'clock. He had spent a lot longer than he had intended to away from his family. Harry made his way back to his chair, and took a sip of coffee. Ginny was still asleep, and Lily still in stasis. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As he drained the last dregs of the coffee, Malfoy came into view. He stood for a second in the doorway, taking in the scene before him. Harry stood up quickly, ready to wake Ginny. He held a small vile of blue potion in one hand. He glanced at her, then back at Malfoy, who nodded, a genuine smile forming. Harry ran the short distance around his daughter's bed to his wife's, and shook her awake. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ginny, Malfoy's here. He has the potion." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She was awake as soon as he said her name. She sprang out of bed, landing on his toes. He hopped backwards with a cry. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sorry," she said, looking around wildly. She was obviously a little disoriented from her short nap. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Malfoy had reached the small family, and was standing at the foot of Lily's bed. He had been followed by two Healers, who had their wands in their hands. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Stand behind me, to clear the space around your daughter, and we'll be able to get her out of stasis and administer the potion."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The Potters hurried to follow the instruction, standing hand in hand looking down at Lily. Ginny was biting her lip, the only sign of worry. Harry was tapping his leg with his hand, trying to stay calm. The Healers went to either side of Lily and raised their wands together. The whispered a quiet string of words, and a blanket of shimmering white lifted from the sleeping girl. She immediately stirred, but did not wake fully. Her face pinched into a pained expression and Harry's heart ached for her. Her breathing became ragged, and her skin flushed red before fading to paper-white.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The two Healers stood back as Malfoy approached from the right hand side. He gently sat Lily up as she blinked drearily. She did not seem to know who or what was around her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Lily, my name is Draco. I'm a Healer and you're in St Mungo's. I need you to open your mouth and drink this. It'll make you feel better." Malfoy said. Harry had never heard him sound so...kind.  Lily's face crumpled into a small, suspicious frown, which made Harry chuckle. She looked over at the sound of it, and brightened. Her eyes were still dull, her skin pale and clammy, but there was recognition in her eyes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's ok little one, take the potion. For once, we can trust a Malfoy," Harry said lightly. He saw Malfoy roll his eyes, but without any real malice. Lily allowed Malfoy to pour the potion into her mouth when it became clear she did not have the strength to grip the small vial. She grimaced and swallowed it. Malfoy handed her a cup of water to follow it, which she took gratefully. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Once she'd finished it all, she leaned back in bed. "I'm tired. Can I go back to sleep?" She asked quietly. Harry and Ginny looked to Malfoy, to see him smiling gently. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes, and when you wake up, you'll feel all better. We'll run some tests, and then you can go home this evening, ok?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Lily nodded, and lay back down. The Healers all left, closing the doors behind them. Malfoy had relayed that others had started arriving for the potion, so he would be busy for the foreseeable future.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Stay with me?" She mumbled to her parents, already half asleep. Harry felt a stab of something in his chest. He had said those words before he had gone to see Voldemort. He'd said those words right before he'd died. Panic started rising within him. Ginny gripped his hand reassuringly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"We'll be right here," Ginny replied. She pulled Harry to a chair, then brought the other over to sit beside him.  Harry took deep, shaky breaths to calm the panic welling within him, and soon felt a sense of serenity settle over him. He relaxed his shoulders, and turned to Ginny. She returned his loving gaze with a smile that expressed more than words ever could. They said nothing, but shuffled their chairs closer together, and took comfort in each others' presence, watching their daughter sleep. They sat together quietly, enjoying the knowledge that Lily was safe, and would soon be recovered. It had been a long ordeal, and they were ready for it to be over, and to go back home.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>All was well. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the three Potters appeared with a 'pop' outside the boundaries of The Burrow, they found a crowd of Weasleys, Potters and all those in between waiting for them. They were immediately enveloped in hugs, and cries of happiness, and tears. They had been gone a little under two days, and it seemed like no one had done much more than worry in that time.  Everyone was speaking at once, and Harry couldn't differentiate one voice from another. No one minded though, they were just relieved that Lily was back safe and sound. The tired faces which surrounded Harry were filled with joy and relief at their return. Two faces were missing from the crowd; no matter where Harry looked, he could not spot Ron and Hermione. He exchanged a puzzled glance with Ginny, who had also noticed their absence. </p><p></p><div>
  <p>It soon became apparent that the missing pair were in the kitchen. The whole family packed themselves haphazardly into there too, which was no mean feat. The table was laying itself, and Ron and Hermione were finishing up a large lunch. It seemed that no one had been hungry enough to do more than nibble over the last day and a half. Harry knew how they felt, and was glad to sit down with them all to eat. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Talk was loud while they ate. Everyone was very determinedly not talking about the <em>Incident</em>, and Harry appreciated it. He struck up a conversation with Charlie, who had recently discovered a new species of dragon so small it could sit on the tip of a wand. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It was no wonder that we'd never found it before, really," Charlie was explaining animatedly. "It's so small it's hard to see it's a dragon. We'd always assumed they were just colourful flies, they so rarely breathe fire. For a few weeks we weren't even sure that they <em>could </em>breathe fire, but then two of them got into a fight - turns out they can't actually be in close proximity when in captivity because ooh Merlin that does not end well for either of the parties involved, and even worse for those who just happen to be standing or flying nearby, especially this one time, right -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry grinned. Once Charlie got talking about something he loved, it was difficult to stop the rambling. He enjoyed it though, and Charlie always paused his narrative to answer any questions Harry interjected with. He helped himself to another portion of treacle tart while Charlie spoke. He took in the jovial scene in front of him while he listened and ate. He sat at the head of the table, nearest the front door. Charlie was on his right, Hermione on his left. She was talking to Audrey, though Harry couldn't make out what they were discussing. Both parties were looking like they knew something others didn't, and were snickering like teenagers with juicy gossip.  The rest of the table were equally merry. Conversations were frequently punctuated with laughter, and food and drink flowed freely. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>" - and then one of the little buggers bit my little finger and by <em>Mer</em>lin it was the most painful dragon bite I've ever had. Which is really saying something because did I ever tell you about the time that Welsh Green from the Triwizard Tournament got me?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Charlie, love, I think you've told the entire world that story at least seven times," interjected Charlie's husband, Lucan. Harry laughed. It was true.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's definitely been seven times, and since seven is the most powerfully magical number, maybe we should leave it at that," he chuckled. Charlie scowled between them.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"But it's a good story -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"And it gets more dramatic each time you tell it." Lucan's voice was mockingly stern. His expression matched. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Fine. Anyway, Harry, so this new species -"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Lucan winked at Harry as the latter shot him a grateful smile. Charlie was right, it was a good story, but it had been over-told in the past couple of decades. The meal continued well into the evening, as no one felt any rush to move. Later, everyone would disperse to their own homes. The general consensus seemed to be that everyone wanted to spend as much of the final day together as possible, since they had missed out on the previous day. It was therefore almost eight o'clock by the time Harry caught Mrs Weasley looking a little worse for wear. She hadn't slept at all for the two nights Lily had been in hospital, Ron had told him. It seemed to be taking its toll on her now. She was doing a very good job of masking the way her eyes drooped with every blink, and how her head was heavy on her shoulders.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He nudged Charlie, who threw a scrunched up napkin at Ron, and nodded towards their mother. Their conversations paused as they followed his gaze. Silently, they nodded and quietly spread the word around the table that it was time to go. Molly put up a show of not wanting anyone to leave, but her heart was obviously not in it. Everyone rounded up their respective children, all their possessions that had already been scattered across the house, and got ready to go. Those who were packed first helped tidy up the kitchen, and within an hour, everyone was in the garden with travelling cloaks on and luggage at their feet. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Some were apparating, some were driving, some would be heading back inside to use the floo network to get home. Good-byes were said, and each family went their separate ways. Harry and Ginny herded their three children plus Teddy into the car, and waved as they pulled away from The Burrow. Arthur and Molly waved until everyone had disappeared. Harry held Ginny's hand the whole way home. The back of the car was unusually quiet, and when Harry checked suspiciously on the four of them, he saw them all fast asleep. Lily and James were using Teddy as a pillow, and Albus was using Lily as one. Harry smiled and focused on the road. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Once they were home, he prodded Teddy awake, got everyone out the car and up to bed. He did one last check on everyone once teeth had been brushed and pyjamas put on. James and Albus had already fallen immediately back to sleep. Lily was sitting up in her bed, staring out the window through the cracked curtains where the moon could just be seen. She looked around when Harry softly knocked on her open door. She smiled and held out her arms. He sat on her bed and gave her a bear hug. He never wanted to let go.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm so proud of you, Lily. You've been so brave." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I can't really believe it's all happened," her voice was small. Harry pulled back and gently stroked her hair. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Me neither, little one. But you're safe now, and you're home for the rest of the holidays."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>A sly grin slid onto the eleven-year old's face, and Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "What?" He asked, unsure if he wanted to know what she was thinking. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You know the Porskoff Play variation you did last summer?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Harry burst out laughing. He had spent his two weeks off work last summer playing Quidditch with his children. Much to Ginny's dismay, he had created (illegal) variations of very famous, very difficult manoeuvres. She had told him off a hundred times over, and shown their children how to perform the moves properly. They learnt from her the correct way, and when she'd gone out to coach the Holyhead Harpies, they had learnt the illegal way from Harry. There was one Harry had not had time to teach them, much to their dismay. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"If we can convince Teddy to distract your mum for the day, we'll spend tomorrow learning the Porskoff Play." He kissed the top of her head. "But now, it's time to sleep." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She beamed up at him and flung her arms around his neck. "You're the best, thanks dad."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He was filled with a warm glow as he hugged her back then tucked her into bed. "Sleep well, Lily."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Night night," she yawned, turning over. Harry switched off the light and gently closed the door. He stuck his head round Teddy's door (the spare room) and told him to go to sleep. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You can't tell me what to do," Teddy retorted in mock-stubborness as he snapped the book he was reading shut and settled into bed. "I'm an adult." Harry conjured and threw a pillow at his god-son, laughing. Teddy blew a tired raspberry back at him. The effect was ruined as he yawned mid-raspberry. Harry snorted and bade him good night, shutting the door. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>When he finally reached his and Ginny's room, his bones ached. He had not been this tired in a long time. He changed and got into bed where Ginny was waiting for him. She curled up in his arms, and he planted a kiss on the top of her fiery red hair. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's been a long two days," she murmured into his chest. He hummed his agreement.</p>
  <p>"But it's done now, and we're no worse off in the end, thank Merlin." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Everything can go back to normal now. Next term will be a normal, quiet term at Hogwarts..."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>There was a pause and they both laughed at the very idea. "There's never a quiet term at Hogwarts. We can hope for a quiet remainder of the holidays though. Teddy goes back to Andromeda in a couple of days, and then it'll just be us and our three monsters." He said lovingly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sounds perfect," whispered Ginny. Harry kissed her, and they both settled down to sleep. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tomorrow was a new day, and next week was a new term. His family were safe, and he only had to worry about planning and marking for the foreseeable future. With a small smile, he yawned, flipped his pillow over, and settled down to sleep.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>Yes, </em>he thought. <em>Tomorrow will be brighter.</em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>And with that, he closed his eyes and drifted peacefully off to sleep. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The End.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>